Worried about Sulcata eating elephant Ear

[Mikki]

Today I bought a Mulberry Tree, Grape Vines, and for more shade Elephant Ears. The Elephant Ears I purchased were huge and had big thick stock stem with humongous leaves for shade. Well I planted it in the ground and Scooter attacked it like he was a beaver! Just started taking huge bites out of the thick stem and usually when he bites something that isn't his for him or plant they shouldn't eat he spits it out and stops. This was not the case! He was climbing up me to get to it as I was pulling it out of the ground. While I was trying to get it out of his area he trambled the bucket with the smaller Elephant ear plants I got to put infront of his house for shade and ate a smaller plant. He was like a crazy tort and fighting me for them. Not to mention I had the sprinkler going at that time so I'm fighting him with my back in corner of the fence with & the sprinkler now getting me wet.. Yelling Scooter NO and Scooter that's bad had no impact on the situation lol. So now I'm worried he might get sick or if it's ok that he ate it.. I read it was ok for them so I got them but now I just heard from someone they are not ok! Please someone tell me your Sulcata has eaten them and was ok...

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I believe ELEPHANT EARS are Taro. The roots are edible. I'm not sure about the rest of the plant. And Lord knows what pesticides are in/on them.
However, I've had a lot of tortoises that ate a lot of bad things and they've all mysteriously survived.
Tomorrow morning will tell. But I'll bet he's ok.
I've been planning on getting some to grow out in my fish ponds to eventually transfer into my tortoise pens.
Thanks for the warning that they're so irresistible. I'll make sure to place them inside of tall pots

 

[Ray--Opo]

I have read past threads about this. I don't think you will have to worry. My sully also ate some elephant ear and everything was fine.

 

[TammyJ]

Not sure about the leaves, but here in Jamaica we dig up, peel and boil the roots and eat them, yeah mon, in red peas soup, quite delicious!

 

[TammyJ]

Not sure about the leaves, but here in Jamaica we dig up, peel and boil the roots and eat them, yeah mon, in red peas soup, quite delicious!

Tammy. You could add that it's like yam. It's called "Coco". Caps not mine.

 

[Tom]

Today I bought a Mulberry Tree, Grape Vines, and for more shade Elephant Ears. The Elephant Ears I purchased were huge and had big thick stock stem with humongous leaves for shade. Well I planted it in the ground and Scooter attacked it like he was a beaver! Just started taking huge bites out of the thick stem and usually when he bites something that isn't his for him or plant they shouldn't eat he spits it out and stops. This was not the case! He was climbing up me to get to it as I was pulling it out of the ground. While I was trying to get it out of his area he trambled the bucket with the smaller Elephant ear plants I got to put infront of his house for shade and ate a smaller plant. He was like a crazy tort and fighting me for them. Not to mention I had the sprinkler going at that time so I'm fighting him with my back in corner of the fence with & the sprinkler now getting me wet.. Yelling Scooter NO and Scooter that's bad had no impact on the situation lol. So now I'm worried he might get sick or if it's ok that he ate it.. I read it was ok for them so I got them but now I just heard from someone they are not ok! Please someone tell me your Sulcata has eaten them and was ok...

Just to be clear, cease several plants are called "elephant ear", do you have a genus and species for this plant?

One of the types of "elephant ear" is the primary food fed to baby and young Galapagos tortoises at the Darwin center in the Galapagos islands.

 

[Markw84]

As @Tom mentions, there are a lot of plants called elephant ear. But most we see are of the aracaea family and in particular the Alocasia and Colocasia. These are only listed as toxic because of raphides - that do affect mammals, but not tortoises. I have fed my tortoises these elephant ears many times. Manoria tortoises eat them regularly and love them as do most tortoises. They are used as a staple food for the Galapagos tortoises raised in the Islands.

The elephant ear makes a great shade plant is OK as a food (if your tortoise lets it get established before eating!

 

[Mikki]

Thank you so much to every one who responded! I apologize for not responding earlier, I updated my phone and damn it I didn't realize my notifications was changed somehow for my email and I was not getting notified that any one was responding to my thread. My apologies. Well Scooter DESTROYED the elephant ears. So what I could save are in huge pots. Another species of also called elephant ears that are colorful I purchased and have those in puts too. I put photos of Scooters garden I made next to house that's fenced in, Scooter playing in his shower that he LOVES to do and a few of his hiding areas for ya'll to see.

 

[Mikki]

On the photos from my l last comment you'll have to click on the first photo and swipe through them that way so they aren't blurry and you see the every thing in the photo also

 

[Ray--Opo]

What a lucky tortoise! I don't dare show those pics to my sully. He would be jealous!🤣
I love the shower setup. I may have to copy that.
What type of heat are you using in the enclosure?

 

[Mikki]

What a lucky tortoise! I don't dare show those pics to my sully. He would be jealous!🤣
I love the shower setup. I may have to copy that.
What type of heat are you using in the enclosure?

I live in Florida and we ran the electric under ground to the house. I have a CHE in there and a thermostat. The house is fully insulated too. I would like to change his heating out before winter comes even tho its really only used for about 3 months. I have never owned a UVB light because of being in Fl and I don't need a basking light in there because even when it's only 60 out in the winter the sun is hot enough for him to bask. He's 3 now and weighs 25 to 30 lbs.

 

[Mikki]

He loves his shower... Every morning he plays and loves to watch the water stream running down the rocks. He bites the water lol.. I would like to remove the slabs so he could play in the mud but it keeps his nails trimmed plus he plays in the mud when it rains so he's not neglected by any means

 

[Ray--Opo]

I live in Florida and we ran the electric under ground to the house. I have a CHE in there and a thermostat. The house is fully insulated too. I would like to change his heating out before winter comes even tho its really only used for about 3 months. I have never owned a UVB light because of being in Fl and I don't need a basking light in there because even when it's only 60 out in the winter the sun is hot enough for him to bask. He's 3 now and weighs 25 to 30 lbs.

I would recommend a 120 watt RHP(radiant heat panel)for the ceiling or wall. Also a 18"×28" Kane mat for the floor. The 120 watt might be a little more than needed. But better safe then sorry if we get some real cold temps here in Florida. I already had a 40 watt RHP. That I used in Opo's first enclosure. When I built his second enclosure that is 4'x4'. I bought a 120w because the 80w was out of stock. I have both mounted on the ceiling. I am glad I bought the 120w. Just for peace of mind that any cold spell I am covered.

 

[Mikki]

I can't use a mat for the floor. Scooter won't go in his house if there isn't hay on the floor he is so use to building a circle with the hay around his body and in the winter he literally wants to burrow in it. He's always burrowed in hay and doesn't burrow in the ground or dig. That's why i made that tunnel for him and at first he HATED IT and it took him 3 months of walking through it once in a while, then daily but now after his morning shower play he goes in there for a few hours and then makes his way to the other end of his property to the corner where the tall grass was planted and the board was put up for shelter/shade which i just did that this past weekend and will be painting that board. The grass was there and an umbrella but i changed it because of the strong storms we are now getting. The radiating heating tho is what I would like to put in. I have a 100 watt bulb in there and that was plenty for last winter. He was nice and warm plus its literally all the wall up to the ceiling. Its not even hanging down at all. Just the probe to the thermostat is 2 inches from shell and it showed he was not under 80. I would open that window and feel heat pouring out in the winter. The CHE is not close to him at all.

 

[Ray--Opo]

I can't use a mat for the floor. Scooter won't go in his house if there isn't hay on the floor he is so use to building a circle with the hay around his body and in the winter he literally wants to burrow in it. He's always burrowed in hay and doesn't burrow in the ground or dig. That's why i made that tunnel for him and at first he HATED IT and it took him 3 months of walking through it once in a while, then daily but now after his morning shower play he goes in there for a few hours and then makes his way to the other end of his property to the corner where the tall grass was planted and the board was put up for shelter/shade which i just did that this past weekend and will be painting that board. The grass was there and an umbrella but i changed it because of the strong storms we are now getting. The radiating heating tho is what I would like to put in. I have a 100 watt bulb in there and that was plenty for last winter. He was nice and warm plus its literally all the wall up to the ceiling. Its not even hanging down at all. Just the probe to the thermostat is 2 inches from shell and it showed he was not under 80. I would open that window and feel heat pouring out in the winter. The CHE is not close to him at all.

When you say 100w bulb,do you mean a 100w CHE? Why I am asking, if you're using a bulb that gives off light. You don't want to use it at night. You want total darkness while Scooter is sleeping.

 

[Mikki]

Yes A 100 watt CHE. I have no bulb that gives off light. I do have a light in there but it gives off no heat. Its a 100 watt CHE.

When you say 100w bulb,do you mean a 100w CHE? Why I am asking, if you're using a bulb that gives off light. You don't want to use it at night. You want total darkness while Scooter is sleeping.