You don't have to be overwhelmed. You don't need to know it all before you get your animal. Three weeds is a great start.
Do tortoises know better?
- Thread starter shehick
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You don't have to be overwhelmed. You don't need to know it all before you get your animal. Three weeds is a great start.
I have given up removing buttercup; it's futile as it spreads like wildfire.No they don't. And that comes from someone whose tortoise lives in ther native country. My Hermann loves buttercup, he is crazy about it and would eat it everyday if he could. We had to remove it. Also, he wanted to taste some of mums lovely poisinous flowers. What is funny, I've read that in the wild they do eat buttercups but it makes a small part of their diet. Many things are different in the wild so play safe.
Joe has been helping himself to them and many other weeds from my garden for the last 46 years. They only form a small portion of his diet. As long as it's not likely to form the majority of the diet, I can only assume it's safer than The Tortoise Table makes out.
Are most grasses safe? That was mainly what I wanted to put chunks of to start with. Those, the few plantains I can get my hands on and dandelions. There are a couple larger weeds that grow here I am really interested in putting in as well but again, I've had a hard time IDing. One of them looks like lettuce but my searches return marijuana and heads of store-bought lettuce.
You can imagine the horror I felt after I realised what I gave him (when I first got him). He ate maybe 15 flowers. I was so terrified, cried, thought I'm gonna lose him. Our neighbours who had their tortoises for a longer time assured me he's gonna be fine. And he was, but I still like to stay on the safe side.
Recently I wondered why my torts wouldn't eat some of the new plants in their enclosure. I found out I misidentified them, they were toxic.
I do trust their instincts, but Middle Europe is very similiar to their natural habitat, I don't know if I would trust an exotic species.
According to many food lists online and in books they are edible. The Tortoise Table tends to be overly wary, that's why I hardly use it.
I do trust their instincts, but Middle Europe is very similiar to their natural habitat, I don't know if I would trust an exotic species.
My Hermanns also eat buttercups every day - why not?
According to many food lists online and in books they are edible. The Tortoise Table tends to be overly wary, that's why I hardly use it.
So far my torts have only sampled and have not gorged themselves on plants that aren't supposed to be a part of their diet, but that is not to say that they wouldn't.
I too recommend posting images of individual weeds for ID. Leaf, Stem and flower are all important to the ID. Also, plants that are full of bug holes are usually edible. I also keep an eye on which plants the deer are eating as well as a general guide for which ones to look up.
I too recommend posting images of individual weeds for ID. Leaf, Stem and flower are all important to the ID. Also, plants that are full of bug holes are usually edible. I also keep an eye on which plants the deer are eating as well as a general guide for which ones to look up.
I read somewhere there were a few deaths associated with buttercups. I just don't feel it is worth the risk. They have nothing special in them. But I think what explains them eating things they shouldn't in the wild is that they are oportunistic eaters. Our neighbours have gardens with all kinds of vegetables and fruit like tomato, apple, lettuce, swiss chard etc. You wouldn't believe how many "guests"Recently I wondered why my torts wouldn't eat some of the new plants in their enclosure. I found out I misidentified them, they were toxic.
I do trust their instincts, but Middle Europe is very similiar to their natural habitat, I don't know if I would trust an exotic species.
My Hermanns also eat buttercups every day - why not?
they have on a daily basis. They eat their whole garden .My mothers day present (a Nikon D3300) came yesterday so maybe if it's a little nicer out tomorrow I can go re-photograph some of the main ones I was curious about. I've just gone from weeks/months of researching only to find out 2 weeks ago it was all incorrect so I had to re-do all of my research, product reviews, etc in the last two weeks to learn the proper things to do and buy for him and now I have to learn how to ID plants and I am just brain dead at this point. The last thing I want to do is hurt him but this information is A LOT to handle in a short period of time.
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My big sulcatas... Always sample everything...I have there pens screened from the pool house by Giant elephant ears... at the beginning they all sampled a few bites... Now they just leave it alone.... Same with the confederate Jasmine...The flowers constantly drop into there pens... I see them smell it and walk right by..... Don't get me wrong I try and watch everything they eat but for the most part I think they have a sense of what is bad.......
Take clear pictures of the leaves...note whether it's a rosette or not, etc.
Go look at some plant ID sites and look at the pictures. See what pictures show the plant clearly...and which don't. Then try and take clear crisp pictures that look like the good ones, lol.
I know a guy that just lost an adult Aldabra and an adult Galapagos to Jasmine. He also thought they would leave it alone, until the day they didn't. He found the Galop dead and then he spent thousands at the vet trying to save the Aldabra. I had to help the vet move the tortoise.
Vet said it had been recently planted. Guy thought the tortoises would know not to eat it. He was wrong. His tortoises are dead.
Hopefully 5 photos and uploaded as thumbnails isn't as bombarding. Alaskan Plant ID
Prairie Mom
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I agree with camp: "No, they don't know better" Here's what happened when my baby gorged on flowers that aren't great tortoise food... http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/we-had-a-case-of-tulip-poisoning.116334/
I also agree that most weeds are alright in small amounts. From what I read and have experienced myself it does seem to take A LOT of a bad thing to cause harm that we can see.
Here's what happened when my baby gorged on flowers that aren't great tortoise food... http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/we-had-a-case-of-tulip-poisoning.116334/I also agree that most weeds are alright in small amounts. From what I read and have experienced myself it does seem to take A LOT of a bad thing to cause harm that we can see.
@Prairie Mom - My main concern is we are talking a 44 gram hatchling here.... Who's to say a nibble isn't enough to do serious damage?
Prairie Mom
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I think you are being wise to be protective and consider the size of your tortoise compared to the portion of food. I also think you're wise to try to identify the plants.
Even having experienced an ill tortoise, I do also agree with Yvonne's sentiment when she said that she generally doesn't worry too much about weeds. I feel the same way. There are fewer tortoise dangerous weeds than dangerous garden grown flowers and plants. Identify what you can and do your best to provide foods that you recognize for your tortoise. But I will say that from what I've experienced it does seem to take a large amount of the wrong food compared to the tortoise's body to make a tortoise ill. I feel comfortable saying this to someone when we're talking about weeds rather than house/garden-grown plants.
Yes, grasses are generally a safe way to start building up your own inventory of tortoise food. I think you're off to a good start. I totally agree with Tom's sentiments in this thread just because I've seen my own attempt to devour the wrong foods time and time again and she is an extremely well fed and happy growing girl. Heck-I garden JUST FOR HER. She never is in want of anything, but she still tries to eat like a goat! I'd be less worried about weeds vs garden flowers, but do try to figure out what you have there
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I am aware there toxic....They have been around the confederate jasmine going on 5 yrs now... There pens are shadowed by the pool house..which is covered in Jasmine...Not once have I seen any of the three try to eat any of the small flowers that occasionally fall into there pens.....Now I have seen gopher tortoises on more than one occasion take a flower and walk away....
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