Crushed Walnut Bedding

[Atlas.thetortoise]

I was looking at pictures on Instagram of leopard tortoises and came across a keeper who had crushed walnut bedding for her Leopard. The tortoise looked pretty happy and healthy.

Is it a safe substrate for a Leopard Tortoise?

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[TechnoCheese]

I was looking at pictures on Instagram of leopard tortoises and came across a keeper who had crushed walnut bedding for her Leopard. The tortoise looked pretty happy and healthy.

Is it a safe substrate for a Leopard Tortoise?

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Not at all! It holds no humidity, and are very sharp shards, like powdered glass. Please send them this information, if you can!
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/
For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/
Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/

 

[Atlas.thetortoise]

Not at all! It holds no humidity, and are very sharp shards, like powdered glass. Please send them this information, if you can!
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/
For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/
Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/

My first thought was (hmm.. that looks pretty “rough” for a tortoise to walk on.)

 

[Tom]

It is too dry, cannot be dampened without it molding and mildewing, and it is an impaction risk.

Not a good substrate, but common over in Europe.

 

[Olddog]

I have no personal experience with walnut as a tortoise substrate although there have been toxcities reported with walnut in other animals.

The American walnut (black walnut) contins phenol compounds (jugalone). It has been reported Indians utilized ground walnut shells in small pools of water to slow and catch fish. Attemts to utilize the jugalone type compounds for anesthetic agents has failed due to narrow therapeutic/toxic ranges.
Horses bedded on walnut shavings develop a systemic inflammatory response and may develop laminitis. Horses given aqueous solutions of walnut hardwood shaving have had such an inflammatory response than some have even required euthanasia. (research setting).

Black walnut trees produce some plant toxins, inhibiting some other plants from growing (tomatoes).

A California Veterinary Association warning from the 70's advised dog owners to prohibit their dogs from contact with moldy walnuts due to an association with convulsions (suspected mycotoxin). Subsequently a mycotoxin has been recently isolated from moldy walnut that precipitated convulsions in a dog leading to a case report.

Walnut hulls have demonstrated an affinity for binding some heavy metals.

In short, IMHO there are probably much safer choices for substrate than walnut due to associated toxicities.