# Tortoises Eating Toxic Plants



## Tom (Aug 30, 2014)

We have frequently had discussions on this forum about tortoise knowing what is best for themselves. That they have survived for millions of years without our help is a frequently repeated assertion.

I argue that sometimes in our man made enclosure in our foreign (foreign to our exotic tortoise species) countries, they are introduced to plants, both toxic and non-toxic, that do not exist in their native lands. They also experience unnatural conditions in a variety of ways due to our captive care that can influence their decisions about what to eat or do.

Case in point: I spent the morning at my friend's vet hospital. He is an exotic bird and reptile specialist and an excellent vet in my opinion. He asked us to help him with a big tortoise in the back. Apparently he had a 300 pound aldabra that needed coelomic fluids administered and he needed help turning it on its side. We were glad to help. He explained that the owner had recently added some decorative plants to the lovely well landscaped back yard and this tortoise and his Galapagos tortoise decided to sample the new plants. The 14 year old Galop is now dead. D-E-A-D. Not coming back. Somebody told this guy that tortoises had survived in the wild for millions of years without our help and they knew what to eat and what not to eat. Apparently no one told this guy's tortoises. They are trying to save the Aldabra, but his chances of survival are not yet clear. Blood and toxicology have been done, so there is now doubt about the COD on the Galop.

The offending plants were decorative loquats, jasmine and one other that I can't remember now. I'll say it again: I do not recommend letting your tortoises have access to toxic plants. Sometimes in some cases, tortoises WILL choose to eat foreign toxic plants despite millions of years of evolution, and our human assertions to the contrary. Because some of them sometimes DON'T choose to eat toxic plants, does not mean that NONE of them will ever eat a toxic plant from a foreign country.

Such a terrible sad way for this man to learn this lesson, but I hope in sharing this awful story someone else's tortoises won't suffer the same fate.


----------



## justino4444 (Aug 30, 2014)

That's so sad!! I had always assumed that the tortoise wouldn't quite under stand and would try a bite because it's green so I never took the chance and am glad because it would be terrible to lose a part of my family because of my decision.


~ Justin


----------



## lismar79 (Aug 30, 2014)

This is something I fear. I found a lot of mushrooms and night shade in my yard where I plan on building my sullys upgrade enclosure next year  trying now to get the bad out before they spread any more but wondering how best to keep it up and safe in large enclosures..... so sad about the two large beauties.


----------



## Jabuticaba (Aug 30, 2014)

May, Aussies, & Hermannis
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES


----------



## Yvonne G (Aug 30, 2014)

I had two wax leaf privet in my Aldabran tortoises' yard and they ate the berries and the fallen leaves. They also got pretty sick with MBD symptoms, and one of them foamed from the mouth for months. I attributed it to the fact that the graze was 90% clover and those two shrubs. I dug out the shrubs.


----------



## Abdulla6169 (Aug 30, 2014)

That's sad  At least it serves as a reminder for all tortoise keepers...


----------



## stojanovski92113 (Aug 30, 2014)

Ohhhh that's so AWEFUL & sad to hear about


----------



## Abdulla6169 (Aug 31, 2014)

I think this should be a sticky... We usually get this question asked every once in a while...


----------



## Robertchrisroph (Sep 9, 2014)

I have been reading toxic plants and Oak Tree is on the list. so I counted and I have 20 over at the property. Is it best to cut the ones down around Kings house? anyone have oak trees. I'm building a very large run for my sulcata and there is a oak in the center. lol. Thank you all for help


----------



## Tom (Sep 9, 2014)

Robertchrisroph said:


> I have been reading toxic plants and Oak Tree is on the list. so I counted and I have 20 over at the property. Is it best to cut the ones down around Kings house? anyone have oak trees. I'm building a very large run for my sulcata and there is a oak in the center. lol. Thank you all for help



I have oak trees around mine and they don't mess with it. If they were to eat the fresh green leaves, those are toxic, but they can't reach them. Once the leaves discolor and fall off they are not toxic anymore. I know this because we use the dried up weathered old oak leaves as leaf litter in our roach colonies and the roaches eat it.


----------



## wellington (Sep 9, 2014)

This is very sad to hear. What an awful way for that poor galop to die and for the owner to find out. Thanks for sharing Tom and glad you were there to find this out. Sure hope the Aldabra makes it. Keep us informed if you can.


----------



## wellington (Sep 9, 2014)

lismar79 said:


> This is something I fear. I found a lot of mushrooms and night shade in my yard where I plan on building my sullys upgrade enclosure next year  trying now to get the bad out before they spread any more but wondering how best to keep it up and safe in large enclosures..... so sad about the two large beauties.



Possibly you could use weed killer now and once the weeds are dead and gone, water a lot and then it should be safe for your build next year. Then, once the build is done, your just going to have to do weekly walks of the enclosure and get the weeds out by the roots. @Tom @Yvonne G Do you think this would be safe to do?


----------



## lismar79 (Sep 9, 2014)

wellington said:


> Possibly you could use weed killer now and once the weeds are dead and gone, water a lot and then it should be safe for your build next year. Then, once the build is done, your just going to have to do weekly walks of the enclosure and get the weeds out by the roots. @Tom @Yvonne G Do you think this would be safe to do?



I did wonder about using weed killer to spot kill in that area. Most of her future space is plantain & good grass mix but there is a small (40x3 foot) section that has some issues like poison ivy, night shade, dock, and mushrooms. It is an area up against our barn & is pretty far (many hundreds of feet) away from her 17x 6 area she has now so I am not worry about contaminating her space she uses now. Just worry about future & maintenance of such a big area. Also will I am ranting- Is 40x80 pasture area a good size for a growing or full grown Sulcata? She will also have a 20x12 heated barn area out side of that & I am working on additional heated green house space too. Shes only 7 inches, 2.5 lbs and 13 months old now  [email protected]!


----------



## Tom (Sep 9, 2014)

I would never use weed killer. I just pull individual weeds out by the root. It is very time consuming, but if you just put your head down, you can clear a pretty large area pretty fast. I have to do this every year in my enclosures with fiddle neck and convolvulus. I try to pluck it right away before it can go to seed. Damp ground makes it easier to pull up the roots. Each year there is less and less, and some areas are totally clear now.

I do just the opposite with weeds that I like. I let them go to seed and then as they start to dry up and die in spring, I pull up the weeds with all the seed pods and seed heads and put them in areas where I want the weeds to grow. I have whole fields of mallow from this technique. My hawks bit does well this way too. I don't have to do anything with the wild mustard. It spreads on its own and so does the filaree.


----------



## Abdulla6169 (Sep 10, 2014)

I use pliers to remove weeds, because theres this one unidentifiable weed In the yard.


----------



## Flipper (Sep 10, 2014)

Very sad lesson to learn


----------



## KevinGG (Feb 2, 2015)

Little late to the thread. Is there a difference between decorative loquat and the fruiting tree? This website lists loquat bushes as edible http://africantortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm


----------



## Team Gomberg (Feb 2, 2015)

I missed this thread before... wow.



KevinGG said:


> Little late to the thread. Is there a difference between decorative loquat and the fruiting tree? This website lists loquat bushes as edible http://africantortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm



That is the list I primarily used for knowing what to/not to use...


----------



## TortsNTurtles (Feb 2, 2015)

Tom said:


> I have oak trees around mine and they don't mess with it. If they were to eat the fresh green leaves, those are toxic, but they can't reach them. Once the leaves discolor and fall off they are not toxic anymore. I know this because we use the dried up weathered old oak leaves as leaf litter in our roach colonies and the roaches eat it.



This is good to know for both tortoise & roaches. Thanks


----------

