Can mice spread disease to tortoises?

[Speedy101]

Hi
We’ve had invaders ( wood mice & a few house mice) this winter in the tortoise greenhouse. We are currently in the process of getting rid of them all and have caught a good few as I know they can cause damage to torts, speedy is large compared to them and they can’t get into my yearlings enclosure. I’m very grateful it’s not rats. This is first time we’ve ever had a mouse problem and on Saturday I am cleaning the greenhouse up in hopes of finding their entry point and blocking it up. I’ve seen a few of the tiny wood mice hanging out under speedys heat bulb and I’m wondering if they can spread disease to him? I would like to think the species barrier is too large from mammal to reptile for a disease to occur. I’ve been wiping down his basking slate and food slate as a precaution anyways and will clean out his entire enclosure once we’re mouse free ( hopefully soon as we catching significantly less now.) Thanks.

 

[Big Ron]

I really hope you can get it under control,as far as disease spreading from them i would hope not maybe parasites if they ingest the droppings with their food,but there are many more on here that can probably sort that out quickly with the answer to your question

 

[Speedy101]

I really hope you can get it under control,as far as disease spreading from them i would hope not maybe parasites if they ingest the droppings with their food,but there are many more on here that can probably sort that out quickly with the answer to your question

Thank you for your reply!

 

[Speedy101]

I’ve decided to clean his enclosure out and keep him on puppy pads so I can easily clean everything until we are mouse free. I believe I have found their entry point, a paving stone has lifted leaving a convenient mouse sized gap and I’m going round with cement to patch up gaps in the concrete floor.

 

[wellington]

I don't think they can get anything from the mice.
I have been battling mice since my torts have moved from my house to their sheds back around 2012/2013. Now I am battling rats that have found their way in. Never have I had a sick tort or damage to the tort. However, there is always food left over so they go for that and not the torts.

 

[Speedy101]

I don't think they can get anything from the mice.
I have been battling mice since my torts have moved from my house to their sheds back around 2012/2013. Now I am battling rats that have found their way in. Never have I had a sick tort or damage to the tort. However, there is always food left over so they go for that and not the torts.

Thank you for replying, that is reassuring.

 

[Tom]

Hi
We’ve had invaders ( wood mice & a few house mice) this winter in the tortoise greenhouse. We are currently in the process of getting rid of them all and have caught a good few as I know they can cause damage to torts, speedy is large compared to them and they can’t get into my yearlings enclosure. I’m very grateful it’s not rats. This is first time we’ve ever had a mouse problem and on Saturday I am cleaning the greenhouse up in hopes of finding their entry point and blocking it up. I’ve seen a few of the tiny wood mice hanging out under speedys heat bulb and I’m wondering if they can spread disease to him? I would like to think the species barrier is too large from mammal to reptile for a disease to occur. I’ve been wiping down his basking slate and food slate as a precaution anyways and will clean out his entire enclosure once we’re mouse free ( hopefully soon as we catching significantly less now.) Thanks.

I'm sure there is something that they can catch from mice in some rare case, but generally speaking there is no risk to your tortoise from mouse diseases. I doubt there is an outdoor enclosure anywhere in the country that doesn't have mice in or around it at some point.

 

[Speedy101]

I'm sure there is something that they can catch from mice in some rare case, but generally speaking there is no risk to your tortoise from mouse diseases. I doubt there is an outdoor enclosure anywhere in the country that doesn't have mice in or around it at some point.

He’s likely encountered them before then and I just haven’t noticed! Is it unlikely mice would gnaw on or cause damage to an active tortoise?

 

[Tom]

He’s likely encountered them before then and I just haven’t noticed! Is it unlikely mice would gnaw on or cause damage to an active tortoise?

Mice are less likely than rats, but it is still possible. Especially on smaller tortoises.

I lock my tortoises up in secure temperature controlled night boxes at night to prevent this sort of thing.

 

[Speedy101]

Mice are less likely than rats, but it is still possible. Especially on smaller tortoises.

I lock my tortoises up in secure temperature controlled night boxes at night to prevent this sort of thing.

The tortoises come inside my house at night so they are secure however in the UK right now it gets dark by 3pm so mice are showing up in the day. I think I’ve found the entry point though so hopefully I won’t have this problem much longer.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Someone is always building a better mouse trap

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Hi
We’ve had invaders ( wood mice & a few house mice) this winter in the tortoise greenhouse. We are currently in the process of getting rid of them all and have caught a good few as I know they can cause damage to torts, speedy is large compared to them and they can’t get into my yearlings enclosure. I’m very grateful it’s not rats. This is first time we’ve ever had a mouse problem and on Saturday I am cleaning the greenhouse up in hopes of finding their entry point and blocking it up. I’ve seen a few of the tiny wood mice hanging out under speedys heat bulb and I’m wondering if they can spread disease to him? I would like to think the species barrier is too large from mammal to reptile for a disease to occur. I’ve been wiping down his basking slate and food slate as a precaution anyways and will clean out his entire enclosure once we’re mouse free ( hopefully soon as we catching significantly less now.) Thanks.

Because of the many fruit trees around my house, rats ARE an issue and I sometimes set traps out for them.
It's kind of rediculous. Because I can easily get 5 or 6 rats every single night.
I've decided to leave them alone after I found that my Redfoot had eaten two rats and about half of a wooden rat trap.
Do not poison the mice or rats.
Your tortoises might see an easy meal in that.
It sucks that there are so many feral cats using my yard for a crapper, yet none of them seem to chase rats.

About spreading diseases. It seems to me that the threat must be pretty small.

 

[Speedy101]

Because of the many fruit trees around my house, rats ARE an issue and I sometimes set traps out for them.
It's kind of rediculous. Because I can easily get 5 or 6 rats every single night.
I've decided to leave them alone after I found that my Redfoot had eaten two rats and about half of a wooden rat trap.
Do not poison the mice or rats.
Your tortoises might see an easy meal in that.
It sucks that there are so many feral cats using my yard for a crapper, yet none of them seem to chase rats.

About spreading diseases. It seems to me that the threat must be pretty small.

We live near woodland and a small stream so we have rats in the garden but luckily they have never found their way into the greenhouse. I can cope with mice much better. Thanks for your reply !