Red Footed and Passion Fruit Leaves

[omarnegron]

Hi everyone,

I have a Red Footed and she loves to eat Passion Fruit leaves. I know that the fruit is good for the Red Footed, but the leaves are ok too?

 

[Anyfoot]

Hi everyone,

I have a Red Footed and she loves to eat Passion Fruit leaves. I know that the fruit is good for the Red Footed, but the leaves are ok too?

I hope so, because I'm going to grow some
I think if the fruit is edible for torts so are the leaves.

 

[DPtortiose]

I hope so, because I'm going to grow some

I think if the fruit is edible for torts so are the leaves.

No this is certainly not true. Loads of species have perfectly edible fruits (because that's mostly the point of fruits, at least in 'common' terms) but are extremely poisonous when certain parts are ingested. I suggest looking at this site if you want to know if a certain species is edible or not: http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?st=true&mode=main&catID=330. Most animals tend avoid harmful plants by themselves perfectly fine, but I prefer to check anyway,

 

[Anyfoot]

No this is certainly not true. Loads of species have perfectly edible fruits (because that's mostly the point of fruits, at least in 'common' terms) but are extremely poisonous when certain parts are ingested. I suggest looking at this site if you want to know if a certain species is edible or not: http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?st=true&mode=main&catID=330. Most animals tend avoid harmful plants by themselves perfectly fine, but I prefer to check anyway,

Thank you, that link shows the common passion fruit that is ornamental and not edible, fruit or foliage (I THINK).

This is what I was going to grow. Your thoughts on this please.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_laurifolia

 

[DPtortiose]

Well the tortoise table refers to: Passiflora spp.which refers to the entire genus. Not a specific species like the one you link too. Haven't got a clue which parts would be poisonous or if they even are poisonous to tortoises. Could be very well that that specific species is not dangerous, but it's not very likely. I honestly don't know.

 

[dmmj]

that is very interesting I had always assumed if the fruit was edible so were the leaves. But it makes sense fruit is designed to be eaten leaves may not be.

 

[Iochroma]

Passiflora leaves contain a variety of toxins; many contain cyanide containing-compounds. I would not expect tortoises to have any resistance to these. Even the skins of the fruits should be considered suspect.
Heliconia butterflies can eat the leaves with impunity, and incorporate and concentrate the toxins into themselves to protect them from predators.

 

[Anyfoot]

Hi everyone,

I have a Red Footed and she loves to eat Passion Fruit leaves. I know that the fruit is good for the Red Footed, but the leaves are ok too?

How long have you been feeding this redfoot passion fruit?

I'm getting confused a bit now, everybody seems to think it's a no no for torts , but if you read the vinke,vinke book, redfoots eat wild passion fruit.

 

[DPtortiose]

Yeah, tortoise regulary eat stuff we think is 'bad' for them. For example T. hermanni are known to eat very poisonous plants without ill effect. T. boettgeri in Romania are known to migrate in June to eat plums and beans that have ripened in gardens and orchids. While most people claim fruit should be only a treat for Mediterranean tortoise and that too much would kill, wild studies on animals in Corsica and Tuscany have shown that fruit makes up 8.2 percent of their wild diet.

So what I tend to do is look at their wild diet and mimic that. When I'm unsure I look at what the site mention where I've linked to. Keep in mind; tortoises aren't stupid and tend to have a good idea what they can or can't eat as well. As long as you feed everything in small amounts and as part of varied diet (I tend feed about between 20 till 30 different plant species.)

 

[Anyfoot]

Yeah, tortoise regulary eat stuff we think is 'bad' for them. For example T. hermanni are known to eat very poisonous plants without ill effect. T. boettgeri in Romania are known to migrate in June to eat plums and beans that have ripened in gardens and orchids. While most people claim fruit should be only a treat for Mediterranean tortoise and that too much would kill, wild studies on animals in Corsica and Tuscany have shown that fruit makes up 8.2 percent of their wild diet.

So what I tend to do is look at their wild diet and mimic that. When I'm unsure I look at what the site mention where I've linked to. Keep in mind; tortoises aren't stupid and tend to have a good idea what they can or can't eat as well. As long as you feed everything in small amounts and as part of varied diet (I tend feed about between 20 till 30 different plant species.)

Reds eat a lot of fruit in the wild, maybe not what we class as fruit. Most pits have cyanide in them. Plum,cherry,Apple,apricot, I'll have to research their more natural fruit if possible, the natural fruit is less flesh and more pit I believe. Obviously torts are a natural seed distributor, so I would imagine seeds just Pass right through. We humans can deal with a certain amount of cyanide too. You'd have to eat a cup full of Apple seeds to keel over. I'll research the cyanide aspect in seeds a bit more. Thanks.

 

[omarnegron]

How long have you been feeding this redfoot passion fruit?

I'm getting confused a bit now, everybody seems to think it's a no no for torts , but if you read the vinke,vinke book, redfoots eat wild passion fruit.

My Red tortoise was eating passion fruit leaves for two weeks. I think that she is almost addicted to this leaves because if she has to make a choice between passion fruits leaves and lettuce, hibiscus or something else, she always chose the passion fruit leaves. At least for now, she looks healthy.

 

[omarnegron]

I found this post from 2012:

Ok, so i contacted one of the editors for The Tortuga Gazette, about the article and he replied this
"I wrote the article about the Passion Vine. You need not worry about your tortoises eating the leaves. The cyanide you mention is present in very young, unripe fruit - passion fruit at this stage of development should never be eaten.

I can send you a PDF of the article by email as soon as tomorrow. If you give me a postal mailing address, I will send you a copy of the issue in which the article appeared. That, however, may take some time, as I need to dig the copy out of a storage box."

so here it is... its completely safe , i hope she sends the PDF at least