poisonous flowers and plants to be avoided in garden.

lukecourtney87

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Hi, can anyone tell me what flowers and plants are dangerous to tortoises? I want to let them in the back garden but obviously don't want any harm to come to them. Any photographs would be appreciated.
thanks.
Luke
 

AgataP

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Hi!
Here is a link to a site many of us are using as a base on what plants are good for your tortoise.


If you not sure about some specific plant or some sources say it’s ok some say it’s not you can ask here. Some members have an extensive experience and will be happy to help.
Please remember this is all for a reference and if you not 100% sure about something there is no need to risk.
Hope this helps.
 
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MEEJogja

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In my limited experience they do not go feasting on plants they are not familiar with, they may have a small taste but that's about it. Introducing them to new foods takes a little trickery and a lot of persistence. If you want to let them out into the garden for the space and free roaming, I wouldn't be too worried about them eating enough of something to make them sick, assuming you don't have any highly toxic red flag species and are still giving them the diet they are used to.
 

lukecourtney87

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That's reassuring. Thank you. I should probably just get to them out when it gets a bit warmer. I'm pulling out the daffodils but nothing else for now. I'll just keep an eye on them while they're out there. Many thanks
 

Tom

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That's reassuring. Thank you. I should probably just get to them out when it gets a bit warmer. I'm pulling out the daffodils but nothing else for now. I'll just keep an eye on them while they're out there. Many thanks
Its reassuring, but its wrong. @olstearn hasn't seen the cases that I've seen of tortoises dying after eating toxic plants because someone mistakenly believed they knew better than to eat something toxic.

You need to ID every plant the tortoise will have access to. ALL of them. If you don't know what it is, or if you don't know if its toxic or not, don't let your tortoise have access to it.
 

KarenSoCal

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Thanks for that Tom. I've been put on to the tortoise table which I will be using as a guide. Cheers

Here's one that popped up in my front yard a couple years ago. It's datura, very poisonous to anything, including humans. I pulled it up, and have never seen any again. Weird how something like that appears out of nowhere. It was probably in bird poop, dropped from high above.
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MEEJogja

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Its reassuring, but its wrong. @olstearn hasn't seen the cases that I've seen of tortoises dying after eating toxic plants because someone mistakenly believed they knew better than to eat something toxic.

You need to ID every plant the tortoise will have access to. ALL of them. If you don't know what it is, or if you don't know if its toxic or not, don't let your tortoise have access to it.

I was not trying to give the impression that they know better than to eat something toxic. It is clear that they will eat tomato and avocado until their last breathe, whatever else is on offer. My quick answer definitely needed several layers of disclaimers and provisos e.g. if there are any fruit or flowers they should be checked, as torts are likely to go for them, but the tortoise table definitely doesn't give you a complete list of all species you could possibly find in your garden, and identifying every species, let alone whether it happens to be toxic to tortoises is probably infeasible for most people.
You are right, and I'm certainly not trying to say otherwise, but if there is any doubt (you have identified the species and find no toxicity info anywhere, for example) then they are unlikely to eat random greenery if their regular diet is on offer.
 

lukecourtney87

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I'll bare that in mind, thank you. Will make sure they have enough dandelion leaves and learn what's growing in the flower beds! Many thanks
 

RosemaryDW

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Beautiful. If you get any more pot them.
In California we don’t need to pot Jimson weed (another name for datura); it appears when we aren’t looking! It does have a sort of beauty but it was pointed out to me as dangerous when I was very young and I never see it without a bit of a red flag going off.
 

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