Identification of Weeds
- Thread starter Jtort
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Jtort said:
I only know one of them and I am still tentative on it, but I am almost positive that the yellow flower along your back wall is a Yellow Trumpet Vine. Though the leaves don't look quite right, the only other thing I could think it would be was a hibiscus but the leaves definitely don't look right then. Can you get a side shot of it?
Think 4 is spurge....but the pic is a little dark...if it is spurge then yes, your tort can eat it if they elect to....
1. Lambsquarter. Don't know if its toxic, but none of mine eat it.
2. Don't know, but maybe dock.
3. Sowthistle. Good food.
4. Can't tell. What did you do take pics at night?
5. Someone more knowledgeable should correct me, but I think that is a form of trumpet vine. Toxic.
2. Don't know, but maybe dock.
3. Sowthistle. Good food.
4. Can't tell. What did you do take pics at night?
5. Someone more knowledgeable should correct me, but I think that is a form of trumpet vine. Toxic.
Thank you guys! I took the pictures this evening [UNAMUSED FACE] and it was already getting dark out. I'll be pulling out the lambsquarter, #2 whatever it is and cutting down the yellow trumpet vine.
I googled spurge and that's what #4 is. I hope my little guy likes it. I used to hate weeds and now I want them lol..... well some of them.
I googled spurge and that's what #4 is. I hope my little guy likes it. I used to hate weeds and now I want them lol..... well some of them.
#1 looks like lambsquarter, but I think it may be deadly night shade. Does it have little green balls that eventually turn very dark purple? Toxic.
#2 looks like dock
#3 sowthistle
#4 spurge. This is on the don't feed list, however desert tortoises readily consume it in the desert.
#5 Wow! look at those seed pods! This might be cat's claw.
#2 looks like dock
#3 sowthistle
#4 spurge. This is on the don't feed list, however desert tortoises readily consume it in the desert.
#5 Wow! look at those seed pods! This might be cat's claw.
Yes, #4 is spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata). It is edible, but because its latex sap contains high levels of oxalic acid, your tortoises won't want to eat very much of it.
Regarding the sow thistle -- my DTs eat the yellow flowers, but show no interest in the leaves. Do other people's torts like the leaves?
On the spotted spurge, they went through a phase of really chowing down on it earlier in the summer, and now it hardly interests them. I wonder if the torts' needs -- or the plant's composition -- changes over the course of the season. Either way, if they have a good variety of healthy options to choose from, they seem to be able to know to stay away from plants that are bad for them. (They've shown no interest in the ficus leaves that occasionally blow into their enclosure, for instance).
On the spotted spurge, they went through a phase of really chowing down on it earlier in the summer, and now it hardly interests them. I wonder if the torts' needs -- or the plant's composition -- changes over the course of the season. Either way, if they have a good variety of healthy options to choose from, they seem to be able to know to stay away from plants that are bad for them. (They've shown no interest in the ficus leaves that occasionally blow into their enclosure, for instance).
thatrebecca said:
Both. For most plants, as they grow older, their metabolite content increases. This means that not only are they more edible when they're young, but more palatable, too. It's not unusual for tortoises and other herbivores to prefer feeding on tender young shoots, only to turn their nose up at the same plant at a later stage.
Also, tortoises need variety in their diet. It's fine for them to eat some spotted spurge, which probably does provide them with some nutrition. After a while, though, they may decrease their intake of it, and turn to something else instead. All perfectly normal.
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