Should I trust him?

[Spidey777]

So the weather where I live is getting nice and across the street from me there’s a little round about where grass grows. Right now it’s a mix of grass and weeds. Dandelions, clovers and other weeds I can’t identify.
I let my Hermann tortoise walk around there today he loved it! And he was munching on leafs and weeds here and there.
my question is. Do I trust him in knowing what’s good for him and what’s not ? Are grassy weeds generally fine?
I really don’t want to start attempting to identify every single subspecies or weed in there . So as a general rule is this free roaming and munching behaviour fine?

 

[Tom]

So the weather where I live is getting nice and across the street from me there’s a little round about where grass grows. Right now it’s a mix of grass and weeds. Dandelions, clovers and other weeds I can’t identify.
I let my Hermann tortoise walk around there today he loved it! And he was munching on leafs and weeds here and there.
my question is. Do I trust him in knowing what’s good for him and what’s not ? Are grassy weeds generally fine?
I really don’t want to start attempting to identify every single subspecies or weed in there . So as a general rule is this free roaming and munching behaviour fine?

No not at all. Thats a great way to kill your tortoise.

Your tortoise should not ever have access to any plant you aren't 100% sure is safe, and letting them free roam like that is a recipe for disaster. It usually results in a lost or dead tortoise.

If you are sure that area is safe and not sprayed with landscaping chemicals, then cut the weeds you know and feed them to him in his enclosure. ID the ones you don't know because more variety is better.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Tom is much more cautious than I but even I woud say a newish owner should better to be safe than sorry. I trust my Russian; she spent a lot of time in her native territory and I’ve never seen her eat anything I thought would harm her. But I can’t say the same for every Russian and I definitely don’t think she’d know if a plant had pesticides in it or not. Like it or not you need to spend a little time figuring out what is around you before you set her loose.

I’m sorry to be abrupt but you shouldn’t let her free roam either. I’m casual about food but not about safe enclosures. A tortoise can disappear in minutes, no matter how careful you think you are. I know it first hand, as I found my Russian making a break for it crossing a street! And even now, in a very solid enclosure, she spends a good part of every day testing it for weaknesses. Mating season and pre hibernation are the worst; she’ll roll herself over and over looking for a way into new territory.

 

[Spidey777]

Tom is much more cautious than I but even I woud say a newish owner should better to be safe than sorry. I trust my Russian; she spent a lot of time in her native territory and I’ve never seen her eat anything I thought would harm her. But I can’t say the same for every Russian and I definitely don’t think she’d know if a plant had pesticides in it or not. Like it or not you need to spend a little time figuring out what is around you before you set her loose.

I’m sorry to be abrupt but you shouldn’t let her free roam either. I’m casual about food but not about safe enclosures. A tortoise can disappear in minutes, no matter how careful you think you are. I know it first hand, as I found my Russian making a break for it crossing a street! And even now, in a very solid enclosure, she spends a good part of every day testing it for weaknesses. Mating season and pre hibernation are the worst; she’ll roll herself over and over looking for a way into new territory.

ok so there are two things I should have clarified. I put him down for 5 minutes and kept my eyes on him the whole time. I don’t mean answered some texts and looked at him I mean stared at him the whole time.
Second, the grassy area is 100000% not treated in any chemicals whatsoever. My question was more about the plants. Like can common weeds be bad for him?

 

[Spidey777]

No not at all. Thats a great way to kill your tortoise.

Your tortoise should not ever have access to any plant you aren't 100% sure is safe, and letting them free roam like that is a recipe for disaster. It usually results in a lost or dead tortoise.

If you are sure that area is safe and not sprayed with landscaping chemicals, then cut the weeds you know and feed them to him in his enclosure. ID the ones you don't know because more variety is better.

ok i should have clarified, my bad. I know for a fact the grass isn’t treated at all. My concern isn’t for pesticides or chemicals but more about the weeds. I know it’s mostly grass, dandelions and clovers but is there a chance that there’s something in there that’s really dangerous for him? Like even if I identify things can there be something masquerading in there that is really really bad?

 

[jsheffield]

I didn't kill and replant the lawn where I've set up my outside enclosures... I let my five tortoises graze them at will.

You live a bit NW of me, but in essentially the same ecosystem... I don't worry about the plants my torts are going to come across in their wanderings across my lawn.

That being said, lots of plantings could be dangerous for them, but the tort won't run into those in the middle of a lawn.

JMHO, YMMV.

Jamie

 

[GBtortoises]

I would be much more concerned about where you allow your tortoise to graze than what it chooses to eat. Being a public place the area may be subjected to herbicides and insecticides.
Tortoises will sample just about anything put in front of them that appears to be food to them. They generally know what to consume and what not too.

 

[Maro2Bear]

We have lots of those areas along sidewalks & roundabouts in kind of rural areas that are chockerblock full of massive Red Clover & Chernobyl size dandelion leaves & blossoms. Same for the green space where I launch my kayak from. I’m very tempted to grab a bag full, but I dont cause you never know. Just too risky.

There‘s also a very back road that I traveled to work daily for years. The road is full of all kinds of tall grass & “good” weeds. Maybe twice a year they get cut back by a road crew. Tempting. That said, one day as I’m driving to work, sure enough I pull up right behind a tractor towing a humongous tank & they were spraying something very nasty over a good width. So, my nice patch of country rural grass & weeds was in fact being treated. How often? With what? Who knows. ?

So, one really doesn't know if some general land area is being treated. Always be extra safe When it comes to “untreated” weeds.

Now “unidentified weeds“ is a different story. Trust But Verify.

 

[Yvonne G]

Evolution may have taught your tortoise what plants to eat and which ones to steer clear of, however, most of us have tortoises that didn't evolve living in the area where we keep them. They may not recognise plants in countries other than their native country.

 

[Tom]

ok so there are two things I should have clarified. I put him down for 5 minutes and kept my eyes on him the whole time. I don’t mean answered some texts and looked at him I mean stared at him the whole time.
Second, the grassy area is 100000% not treated in any chemicals whatsoever. My question was more about the plants. Like can common weeds be bad for him?

Yes, some of the common weeds can be bad for them. Both my career and my hobbies have me working with numerous exotic vets. My wife is a vet consultant. We know many vets and we are lucky to call many of them friends. They all know of my tortoise affliction, so I hear all the crazy tortoise stories, and all the mundane stories too.

It seems that many people think that our tortoise understand what to eat and what not to eat, even though these are foreign plants from all over the world, and our tortoises themselves are in a foreign land. "Tortoises have survived for millions of years without our help. I think they know what to eat..." Well, they do, right up until the day they don't and they die from eating a poisonous plant. When this happens people are bereft. No one goes on the internet to tell the world about how their tortoise just ate a poisonous plant and died. But they do often go to their vet to try to save the tortoise, which is when I hear about it. I had to help my one vet friend move a 400 pound Aldabra a couple of years ago. The gardeners decided to plant some new jasmine around the perimeter of the enclosure. Both the Aldabra and the Galapagos went over and started munching away as soon as the gardeners finished planting it. By the time the owner of the tortoises noticed, much of the plant had been consumed. Both tortoises died. But then you can ask this question and a half a dozen tortoise keepers will tell you that their tortoises generally know what to eat and to not worry about it. Come see what I've seen, and listen to what I've been told by reptile vets, and you will realize that that our tortoises don't always know what to eat, and you should be very concerned about this.

 

[Tom]

ok so there are two things I should have clarified. I put him down for 5 minutes and kept my eyes on him the whole time. I don’t mean answered some texts and looked at him I mean stared at him the whole time.

That's what everyone says. They get mad and defensive. They feel their intelligence is being insulted. And then one day, maybe no today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day they blink, and the tortoise is gone. Those of us recommending strongly against this practice do so because we've had it happen. The adrenaline dump and nausea that come when you realize your tortoise has simply disappeared right before your eyes is gut wrenching. Its an awful feeling. Sometimes you get lucky and you get a second chance. Sometimes you don't.

I find it ironic that people get angry at me/us for trying to literally save their tortoise's life and save them from living through a common but terrible experience. Everyone will do what they will do, but I can rest with a clear conscience knowing that I've done what I can do to try to prevent yet another tortoise catastrophe. You've been warned.

 

[Spidey777]

That's what everyone says. They get mad and defensive. They feel their intelligence is being insulted. And then one day, maybe no today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day they blink, and the tortoise is gone. Those of us recommending strongly against this practice do so because we've had it happen. The adrenaline dump and nausea that come when you realize your tortoise has simply disappeared right before your eyes is gut wrenching. Its an awful feeling. Sometimes you get lucky and you get a second chance. Sometimes you don't.

I find it ironic that people get angry at me/us for trying to literally save their tortoise's life and save them from living through a common but terrible experience. Everyone will do what they will do, but I can rest with a clear conscience knowing that I've done what I can do to try to prevent yet another tortoise catastrophe. You've been warned.

oh, make no mistake I won’t be letting him roam again. He has an outdoor enclosure I just have to set it up. So yesterday will have been the last day he ever roams freely. I will also stick to my own yard from now on because I know it’s not and never will be treated with chemicals. Time to go identify some weeds.
Tom, do you offer Skype consultations? Idd like to know your rate if so. Because I would get so much comfort if I can get some help from a pro to tell me which weeds in my yard to give him and which to stay clear of. Let me know.

 

[LasTortugasNinja]

I'm leery of any weeds near a street or driveway (due to car exhaust and nasty dirt kicked up). Even in my own yard. When I want a nice collection of large weeds, I go out to the woods. I happen to be super lucky and have a waterfowl breeding area near my home, so I can get untreated, fresh weeds whenever I want. The local parks employee who cares for the site assured me there is no run-off and no spray, since it's a state-controlled wildlife sanctuary. The insects there feed frogs, turtles, fish, ducklings, etc. It's been a godsend. Dandelions the size of bushes. Patches of mallow and clover the size and thickness of a queen mattress! I bring a pair of binoculars to watch the mule deer and kingfishers. It's a great way to unwind AND feed my tort at the same time.