My outdoor enclosure happens to be under a Mapletree. So now I have about 50 itsy-bitsy little maple trees starting to grow in the enclosure. Are the leaves safe for my tortoise to eat?
Do you know what kind they are? I think the most popular ones, that I think most people have from years ago, before all the newer species came in are the safe Acer ones.I have a couple very large maple trees and after 12 years of several several different types of tortoise having access to their leaves i have never seem any bad reaction from them eating the leaves. In fact my 21 year old sulcata eats the fallen leaves all winter as his main diet, I don't rake them until spring, I leave them for him laying loose for him to munch on.
Not sure of the 3 that drop leaves in the yard, but they are very large old trees. One has the big seeds and the other two are each different types and have the small seeds.Do you know what kind they are? I think the most popular ones, that I think most people have from years ago, before all the newer species came in are the safe Acer ones.
That is common in England, known as a sycamore, which is an Acer. In the US known as a sycamore maple. That is apparently not good tortoise food according to the tortoise table. I had always thought from other sources our US northern maples, and the acer genus, are good tortoise food - Red Maple, Big Leaf Maple, etc. But the tortoise table seems to list some of these as "moderation" or do not feed.I'm struggling to come to terms with this. I was aware torts can eat maple leaves, but I just assumed we don't have maple trees.
Are these leaves off of a maple tree and are they edible. I did pick a seed up too but seem to have lost it on the way home. Seeds are those that drop like helicopters rotary blades.
If this is maple I have vertually a yr round supply of food. These trees are literally everywhere in the UK.
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I looked on TTT and it mentions that sycamore is very high in sugar, could this be the reason they say do not feed?That is common in England, known as a sycamore, which is an Acer. In the US known as a sycamore maple. That is apparently not good tortoise food according to the tortoise table. I had always thought from other sources our US northern maples, and the acer genus, are good tortoise food - Red Maple, Big Leaf Maple, etc. But the tortoise table seems to list some of these as "moderation" or do not feed.
I have never seen a red leaf on this Mapletree.Tina, from what I'm figuring, based on our area, what you have is what we refer to as a "broadleaf maple". From looking on the TortoiseTable site it seems only the, "red leaf maple" is considered not edible. It is known to cause liver poison fast in horses that eat on it.
@leigti
The area I speaking of here is the Pacific Northwest
You have yourself a maple tree sounds like it's very similar to mine. Here's the leaves and seeds off of mineI'm struggling to come to terms with this. I was aware torts can eat maple leaves, but I just assumed we don't have maple trees.
Are these leaves off of a maple tree and are they edible. I did pick a seed up too but seem to have lost it on the way home. Seeds are those that drop like helicopters rotary blades.
If this is maple I have vertually a yr round supply of food. These trees are literally everywhere in the UK.
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The "Red Leaf Maple" is a type of smaller maple similar to a Japanese maple and used often as a landscape type.I have never seen a red leaf on this Mapletree.
I can't blame TTT from erring on the side of caution. It's better than being sued.I think the tortoise table is pretty conservative as to what they say is safe and not safe. I will feed it, but not exclusively or as a huge chunk of the diet. I will go pull out a majority of those itsy-bitsy little trees.
I am sure the sugar content is the reason. Not only is TTT cautious, but it aims at the Testudo which are most common as pets in the UK. That makes it good for Sulcata and Leopards too, but not for those species with wider diets like the Redfoots kept by @Anyfoot.I looked on TTT and it mentions that sycamore is very high in sugar, could this be the reason they say do not feed?