# Mexican Petunia's Edible?



## RTfanatic (Sep 6, 2008)

It grows very well for us here and I thought I'd check. It apparently is not related to the regular petunias that I know they can eat (and mine LOVE). Here's a link.
Mexican Petunias
If anyone knows whether Russian Tortoises or Leopard Tortoises can eat them safely please let me know.
Thanks!


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## egyptiandan (Sep 7, 2008)

I can't find it on any toxic plant list. 

Danny


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## RTfanatic (Sep 7, 2008)

I couldn't either, but I tend to avoid plants that I can't find on a edible plants list for torts just to be safe.


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## Yvonne G (Sep 7, 2008)

It has been my experience that if a tortoise has a choice, that is, lots of plants to choose from, they will not eat a toxic plant. Another thing to think of is that most of the toxic plant lists were made up for people and mammals. Reptiles seem to be able to eat the alcholoidal plants with no adverse effects. Having said that, I wouldn't go out and purposefully plant a known toxic plant in a habitat.

I have my Manouria's rain forest fenced off from them to allow it to grow, but in Sept, I take down a section of the fence and let them in there to eat it. Most plants are eaten right down to the ground, but there are some that they walk right by without even a sniff. One of these is a plant I've heard called "end-of-summer." I don't know what it really is, but it is profuse and they don't give it a second look. Another is "cast iron plant" (Aspidistra). They don't care for that at all. 

Yvonne


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