Leopard Tortoise outdoor grass

Ladyluckk

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North Carolina
Hi all, I apologize if this is a repeated question. I have tried to do research myself but was hoping to get some help here as well.
I have a 2 year old Leopard tort, and since it is starting to warm up here in North Carolina, I want to start letting him graze more outside on grass.
My question is, we live in western NC, our property is farmland and predominantly hay. We do have some weeds mixed in too.

Is there anything specifically that I should watch out for him eating that could be toxic?
I will post a picture of him out today to kinda show what our grass situation is right now. Screenshot_20210329-134429.jpg

Also if there is another helpful thread that could help me out, please redirect me.
I appreciate it!
 

Tom

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You need to know each and every weed and plant in any area your tortoise will have access to.

Contrary to what some people mistakenly believe, our tortoises do NOT know better and will eat toxic plants and die. My vet friends see several cases of this every year.

Pull any weeds you don't 100% know and monitor this year round. Birds will sometimes poop out seeds, and new plant seeds can find their way into your enclosures on the wind too.
 

Ladyluckk

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What would be the easiest way to do this? I have tried using a plant app and other plant resources for identifying, but they haven't been very helpful.
 

wellington

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The easiest would be to fence off a spot/area that is just for your tort to live in. Pull up any weeds except those you know are safe. Then plant safe iitema to grow.
Pick an area that will be his outdoor area when he is bigger and can live outside all the time. This way you get an early start for when that time comes
 

Ladyluckk

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Thanks for advice! Thats a great idea, and definitely makes it easier than trying to identify every weed and plant.
I appreciate the help.
 

Tom

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Thanks for advice! Thats a great idea, and definitely makes it easier than trying to identify every weed and plant.
I appreciate the help.
You can usually take samples to a local nursery and they will have a resident "plant nerd" that knows everything about every plant. That person can ID your weeds and probably tell you more about them.

If there are any you are unsure of, pull them out by the root and discard them. I don't know of any grasses that would be unsafe, but there are a few weeds.
 

Ladyluckk

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Dec 14, 2019
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Location (City and/or State)
North Carolina
You can usually take samples to a local nursery and they will have a resident "plant nerd" that knows everything about every plant. That person can ID your weeds and probably tell you more about them.

If there are any you are unsure of, pull them out by the root and discard them. I don't know of any grasses that would be unsafe, but there are a few weeds.
Oh that's good to know. Thanks again!
 

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