bull horns / tribulus terrestris ?

[bigjohn]

Its rain seasons over here and alot of bullhorns have been sprouting my sulcata like yo eat the sprouts in pull them out by the root just wondering if anybody knows if they are toxic or not thanks

 

[ascott]

We call them Goatheads here.....I would wet the ground and then pull the entire plant out---root out the plant...this is an awful super invasive plant-----if your tort gets ahold of some of the blooms (the horrid sticker part) it could cause tears in the mouth and throat of the tort (especially if your tort is small).....I do not think if the sticker is ingested while it is green and fresh (soft) there will be the problem...

However, these nasty things have been known to flatten all sorts of tires and let me tell you, if you walk across them once they are in stages of drying out---you will have a shoe full of the horrible things...and if you track them in the house and later locate them with the bottom of your foot....well, all kinds of ugly words usually escape my mouth before I can stop them....

 

[bigjohn]

We call them Goatheads here.....I would wet the ground and then pull the entire plant out---root out the plant...this is an awful super invasive plant-----if your tort gets ahold of some of the blooms (the horrid sticker part) it could cause tears in the mouth and throat of the tort (especially if your tort is small).....I do not think if the sticker is ingested while it is green and fresh (soft) there will be the problem...

However, these nasty things have been known to flatten all sorts of tires and let me tell you, if you walk across them once they are in stages of drying out---you will have a shoe full of the horrible things...and if you track them in the house and later locate them with the bottom of your foot....well, all kinds of ugly words usually escape my mouth before I can stop them....

Ok thank you i figured not to let them eat the blooms but the weed when it barely Sprouts she likes to eat i seen her eat a few then stopped her was just wondering if they were ok

 

[ascott]

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Tribulus+terrestris

Here is a link for the beneficial factors of this weed....I would just make sure that you let them graze the weed while the plant is green and pliable and remove it before the bloom (sticker) begins to dry out at which time that can be a hazard to the lining of the torts mouth and beyond...

It actually has what appears to be a grand calcium value---nice.

 

[Yvonne G]

Bull horns, goat heads, puncture vine are all names for the same plant. This weed is tortoise food. It is native to Africa and is a mainstay in African tortoises' diet.

 

[bigjohn]

Thank you both!