Little plant inside my habitat

[Steven Schultheis]

Hey Guys!

So since we last spoke I bought another tortoise. The little guy wasn't in the best shade but he is doing great! I can see great changes in his shell after a few months of routine soaking sessions and plenty of nutrients to make the little guy recovery happily. Well, back to why I posted...

This plant appeared one day in their humid hideout section. They haven't seemed interested in eating it but they did run over it a few times. It makes me think about an edible heavy habitat.

Thanks for reading!

 

[leigti]

I'm really surprised they haven't eaten it.

 

[lismar79]

Mine only eat some plants in their enclosures...... they pick and choose

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Hey, a few of those adorable little things grew out o my coir a while ago, but being the plant killer he is, my russians sat on them, trampled them a and destroyed them. I actually don't know what they were, but he didn't eat them, and they didn't last long, so I didn't take them out. It may have been a seed in coir, that happens sometimes

Sprouts?!

• Yellow Turtle01
• Aug 19, 2014

I did NOT plant those :D

 

[AmRoKo]

Awwww, that plant is his best friend!

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Hard to tell from the photo, but it might be a tomato plant. Not edible. Are you feeding tomatoes? Seed sprouting is an indicator of good moisture.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Hard to tell from the photo, but it might be a tomato plant. Not edible. Are you feeding tomatoes? Seed sprouting is an indicator of good moisture.

Huh, I do give tomato FRUITS occasionally as a treat, and I grow my own plant, so it's likely the seeds could be sprouting??
Are tomato greens okay? I've never tried them.

 

[Yvonne G]

That's what I was thinking too - tomato.

If your picture is "misty" because of a misting system you have going on, you Russian tortoise doesn't need all that mist. He's big enough to get by on a SLIGHTLY moist substrate.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Tomato greens are not edible. They're mildly toxic, I think, so never feed. I'm not worried about seedlings unless for some reason the animal isn't fed and gets ravenous.

 

[Steven Schultheis]

I'm really surprised they haven't eaten it.

Me too! When I took this picture, i thought for sure that he was going to eat it. He smelled it, rubbed it up against his nose and moved on.

 

[Steven Schultheis]

Hey, a few of those adorable little things grew out o my coir a while ago, but being the plant killer he is, my russians sat on them, trampled them a and destroyed them. I actually don't know what they were, but he didn't eat them, and they didn't last long, so I didn't take them out. It may have been a seed in coir, that happens sometimes

Sprouts?!

• Yellow Turtle01
• Aug 19, 2014

I did NOT plant those :D

That is very funny! and thank you for that story! They are both so funny and they did the same thing. Ran right over it.

 

[Steven Schultheis]

Hard to tell from the photo, but it might be a tomato plant. Not edible. Are you feeding tomatoes? Seed sprouting is an indicator of good moisture.

That is very interesting. The coir i use comes in dehydrated form so who knows what was mixed in. I'm glad to see the growth because my goal was to give them a humid zone for hangouts but they don't seem to use it. I must be doing something wrong....

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Steven Schultheis]

The more I read, the move I'm developing a concern about this mystery plant. It has changed shape. Here is a picture.

@Yvonne G - I combined 3, 30 gallon bins together to make a spacey habitat for my two little guys. They mainly hide under this one bridge I built SO that is why it looks very misty BUT that is very valuable feedback because I'm concerned about the humidity. I figured they would hangout in this area but they just walk in and out from time to time. Displeased.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

The more I read, the move I'm developing a concern about this mystery plant. It has changed shape. Here is a picture.

@Yvonne G - I combined 3, 30 gallon bins together to make a spacey habitat for my two little guys. They mainly hide under this one bridge I built SO that is why it looks very misty BUT that is very valuable feedback because I'm concerned about the humidity. I figured they would hangout in this area but they just walk in and out from time to time. Displeased.

Oh yeah, okay, know that looks like a tomato plant.

Little tamato sprout

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

That is very funny! and thank you for that story! They are both so funny and they did the same thing. Ran right over it.

He's terrible about plants !

 

[Prairie Mom]

Cute post and great looking tortoise! I agree with the others that it does look like a tomato seedling to me. -Awesome! Free plants either way! I'm not sure about @Yellow Turtle01 's seedlings, because the "true" leaves haven't started to form on those. They do look like tomato seedlings, but without the true leaves, it's anyone's guess. If you're worried about it, dig it up and put it in a pot or cup.

I'll also risk the rest of the tortoise forum's urge to kick me... but I have NO problem letting my tortoise steal occasional bites from tomato plants. If it were my tort, I'd let her eat the little seedling or I'd dig it up and make it grow!!! My sulcata has had plenty of nibbles of tomato greens and her health only improves with the more variety I provide for her. I'll bashfully hang my head low and admit that my sulcata has also snagged an entire tomato ( a small roma) and enjoyed it with great relish. I almost never give her fruit and as long as she is maintaining a good diet, I will probably pretend I don't notice if she ever snags another tomato again.

Do what you feel is best. I just thought I'd offer up another view. I'm glad your tortoise is doing well!

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I'd actually suggest to @Steven Schultheis to dig it up anyway, because it could grow up into a real tomato plant. Mmm, free vegetables (tomatoes are actually a fruit )
I didn't know about tomato leaves! I will give them tomato, but I've never tried leaves! Did she seem to like them?
Hey, it's all just a treat!

 

[Prairie Mom]

I definitely like the idea of free veggies! I wouldn't say tomato greens are her favorite by any means, but she'll happily snag a bite of a leaf as she grazes on other foods she likes. She's eaten them quite a few times as she munches around the yard.

I found this website has a great photo of a tomato seedling. I think it matches the one in the enclosure exaclty
http://myurbanfarmscape.com/2012/04/22/tomato-tomat-tomaat-tomate-or-pomodoro/

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

That's a super informal link, awesome! You're spot no, it's pretty perfect

 

[Prairie Mom]

Look at what I found ....http://www.ehow.com/info_10022310_can-tortoises-eat-tomato-plants.html ---YES

I may post this in my garden thread too...woohoo!