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| StarTortoises.net | * Indian / Sri Lankan & Burmese Star Tortoises... plus a few other species... |
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Burmese & Indian / Sri Lankan Star Tortoises
Other Stars Angulate Tortoise Misc. Pages
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Indoor Housing & Allergic Tortoise Keepers Enclosure materials, air quality, etc.
Sri Lankan Star tortoise Indoor enclosures My Star tortoises spend a lot of time outdoors because I live in a warm climate, but during the short winter they live in my house. I keep my Star tortoise enclosures in my living quarters because I enjoy observing their daily antics. I do not keep them in a separate room, garage, greenhouse, or shed. Thus, my indoor tortoise pens need to be as clean, odor-free, and allergen-free as possible. Wood & wood products Self-built wooden tortoise tables are popular, but unfinished wood has a strong wood odor and I am allergic to it. If I use unfinished wood, I have to seal all surfaces with a low volatile organic compound (VOC) varnish or paint. Particle board (chip board) is a composite material manufactured from wood particles and binders. It contains formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. Formaldehyde is a type of VOC, and it is readily emitted into the air. This can cause a build up, especially in a poorly ventilated area. Exposure to high concentrations can cause upper respiratory irritation and trigger asthma attacks in sensitive people. It can also irritate eyes, nose and throat, and cause itching. Additional symptoms include dizziness, nausea, and headache. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the most significant sources of formaldehyde in our homes are likely to be pressed wood products (e.g. furniture, cabinets, paneling) made using adhesives that contain urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins. Materials made with UF resins include particle board, plywood, and medium density fiberboard (MDF). Of the pressed woods, plywood releases the fewest fumes and MDF the most. For more info, see the Allergy section of the links page. Update Jun 2011: The U.S. government added formaldehyde to the list of carcinogens (cancer causing agents). When buying pressed wood products, look for goods made with ultra-low-emitting formaldehyde (ULEF) or with no-added formaldehyde (NAF) resins. Plastics I like to use open-topped, low-sided (12-13") containers made of light-colored plastic or clear acrylic as indoor tortoise enclosures. These tubs do not irritate my allergies because they are made of clean and odor-free materials. However, some plastic-type materials may emit some odor (e.g. black tubs). If possible, I always do a sniff test of the box material before buying. I avoid plastic products made with PVC (polyvinyl chloride, vinyl), a known toxic. PVC products can be identified with number 3 or letter V, but not all products are marked. Plastics marked with #1 PET or PETE, #2 HDPE, #4 LDPE, #5 PP, and PLA are considered safe. See the Allergy section of the links page for more info. Indoor air quality Clean indoor air is important for asthmatics and allergy sufferers, especially for those with severe symptoms. The best way to accomplish this is to install central high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) air cleaning units that cover the whole house. With these, heated or cooled air is cleaned before it's pushed into the rooms. Unfortunately, these central units are expensive to install. A much cheaper alternative is to use portable, room-sized HEPA air cleaners It's wise to keep an air cleaner in your bedroom so that you can breath clean air during the night. It's also a good idea to keep these air purifiers on and running 24/7 in rooms where your tortoise enclosures are, if you keep them in your indoor living areas. HEPA air cleaners may reduce allergen exposure, and thus lessen your allergic symptoms. Ideally, keep the tortoise pens away from your bedroom. Look for true HEPA air purifiers, not "HEPA-like" filters. True HEPA filters can remove a minimum of 99.97% of airborne particles that are 0.3 micrometers in diameter. They remove allergens, pathogens, and odors from the air. HEPA filtering units are used at health care facilities, operating rooms, pharmaceutical laminar flow hoods, museums, libraries, and many other places. Indoor humidity A lot of folks, including me, are allergic to dust mites. Dust mites are the most common cause of allergy from house dust. They are microscopic, hardy creatures that live and multiply easily in warm, humid places. They feed on dead skin cells shed off by humans and pets, and are commonly found in bed pillows, mattresses, wall-to-wall carpets and soft furniture. Usually, people aren’t allergic to the dust mites themselves, but to their microscopic feces and corpses. Dust mites prefer temperatures at or above 70°F (21°C) with a relative humidity of 75-80%. Almost every home has dust mites. Eradicating them is difficult, but you can greatly reduce their numbers by proper environmental controls. For example, people who are allergic to house dust, should not use vaporizers or humidifiers. They may even need to use a dehumidifier to keep the indoor humidity below 55%. I prefer to keep dry habitat tortoises because they don’t need very high humidity, other than humid hides. For example, Redfoot tortoises from tropical South America require high humidity conditions. A humidity of 70-80% and above is recommended for them. Unless one lives in Florida or Hawaii, misters are often required to achieve that humidity level. Not the best choice for a dust mite allergic people. Furthermore, high indoor humidity encourages growth of molds that people can be allergic to. You may not see them growing, but they may still be present in your home! Tortoise foods & allergic keepers Grasses About 90% of Indian / Sri Lankan and Burmese Star tortoises' diet should consist of fiber-rich grasses and greens. However, I have an allergy to fresh grass and dry hay. When feeding fresh or dry grasses to my Star tortoises inside, I have to remove the leftovers as soon as my Stars are finished with the meal. Keeping the grass cuttings in the same room irritates my eyes, nose, and airways. Flower petals and pollen can also irritate a sensitive person's allergies. Weeds Many fresh weeds are less irritating to me than fresh grasses or hay. My allergic reaction to them is more tolerable. My Stars love their dandelions. :O) Cactus Fresh, chopped cactus is fine with me allergy wise, but cactus pads start to develop a strong odor after they have been stored in the fridge for a while. When I cut older, fridge-stored cactus, the odor of the cut surface is so strong it makes my eyes and nose burn and itch. Thus, I tend to store my uncut cactus pads outside in a flower pot filled with cactus potting soil. Cactus is a very healthy food for tortoises, so I feed it fairly frequently. Commercial foods I am also allergic to dry grass and hay pellet foods made for tortoises and rodents. I have no allergy problems with the Mazuri tortoise diet pellets. They do not smell like grass or hay, and they are almost odorless. I feed Mazuri to my Stars a few times a month as a supplement. For more info, see the notes on commercial foods page. Hand sanitizers Antiseptic hand cleaners can be used when hands are not visibly dirty or soiled. I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer near every indoor tortoise pen in case I need a quick clean up and don't have time to wash my hands. I have used both gel hand sanitizers (ethyl alcohol) and foam sanitizers (benzalkonium chloride, BAC). Both types of products claim to kill 99.9% of many common germs. Alcohol rubs are cheap and easy to find, but they tend to have a strong odor and they are flammable. BAC products are alcohol-free and non-flammable. A fragrance-free (important for allergics) foam sanitizer that I use a lot is Soapopular manufactured by a Canadian company with the same name. Soapopular (BAC) is effective against most commonly encountered bacteria, viruses, and fungi (e.g. E. coli, Salmonella, Staph, avian viruses, Herpes, and ringworm). Another one of my favorite hand cleaners is the BabyGanics Zoo Med also offers an alcohol-free, non-flammable hand sanitizer, the Wipe Out 4 Foam Just like soaps, hand sanitizers can be harsh on skin with long-term use. Both alcohol rubs and benzalkonium chloride foams irritate my hands with frequent usage, so I often switch between them. Alert: Antimicrobial skin products by Clarcon were recalled in Jun 2009 due to bacterial contamination. Disposable gloves In addition to frequent and through hand washing, I also use disposable gloves, especially when cleaning indoor tortoise enclosures. Disposable gloves are available in latex, nitrile, and vinyl. I find powder-free vinyl gloves least irritating to my skin. I buy my gloves a size larger than I need. This makes powder-free gloves easy to slip on. Skin moisturizing Keeping reptiles requires frequent and thorough hand washing. Seems like I am washing my hands a million times a day. :O) Many allergic people have dry, sensitive, and eczema-prone skin. Applying fragrance-free moisturizing lotion frequently helps prevent irritation and drying of skin. Salmonella Tortoises can carry Salmonella bacteria that can be transferred to humans. The most common source of Salmonella infection is contaminated food, but about 3-5% of salmonnellosis cases are associated with exotic pets (birds, frogs, geckos, iguanas, tortoises, snakes etc.). It's estimated that 60-90% of reptiles harbor the Salmonella bacteria in their intestinal tracts. Typical symptoms of Salmonella infection include diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, and headache. Humans, dogs, cats, and farm animals may also be reservoirs of the Salmonella bacteria. For example, humans are the only known carriers of Salmonella typhi which causes typhoid fever. Do not let small children handle tortoises or other reptiles, and always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching reptiles, their cages, or dirty supplies. Share your experiences Are you an allergic turtle or tortoise owner? If so, share your experiences with other visitors by writing a message in the guestbook. How are you dealing with your allergies? What substrates have worked well for you and your tortoises? Any tips to share? Read also the substrates & allergics page. This page is not intended as medical advice. I am just sharing my personal experiences. Always contact your own allergy physician for advice and treatment of your allergies! Allergics = a category of people, who have allergies (Urban dictionary) |
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. The larger the unit, the better it will clean the air.