# Can I feed my tortoise herbs?



## SIXTY_TOO

Ok, so I have a giant rosemary bush can I let my tortoise munch on that? What about other herbs? I wanted to be sure and ask before I do any harm.


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## Jacqui

The answer is you can feed them herbs, but they normally won't eat them. I think it's the smell usually that stops them from eating them. Rosemary is often used in the pens as a shade plant.


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## SIXTY_TOO

Great, I just wanted to make sure that I could build my pen around the bush. 
I did not want to have to pull it, since I love the fragrance and often use the herb when cooking. 
Thanks again


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## Jacqui

you sound like me...lol. I love smelling rosemary and get several plants a year. At Christmas time, WalMart gets ones trimmed like Christmas trees and I always buy several. I just love rubbing my hands across them and then smelling my hands when ever I can...hmmm that sounds a little warped doesn't it?

I love it fresh on my turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas.


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## Hunter

Great advice! Hunter is getting one for Christmas this year. Thanks


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## Jacqui

Just remember if your putting the entire plant into the tort pen, be sure to wash off the old dirt it comes in and change it for something turtle safe. I can't remember what the soil it's potted in looks like, but usually the plants you buy have things added to the soil that's bad for torts, so be safe and repot...or plant in the enclosure's substrate itself. 

The rosemary, unlike most plants, should be safe for eating right away, since it's advertised for human consumption. Myself I would give it a couple of weeks before placing in with the tort, just to be a little safer about it. Other plants need time to get the chemicals out of their system before introducing to torts.

The rosemary needs to be kept from drying out, so watch for that. That seems to be why I lose mine.

Just was thinking that could make a gret photo shoot for your Christmas card even.


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## T-P

Hi, various herbs are bad to feed.
Please study or research in the herbs that are edible.


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## Laura

Weed identifier website...its cool

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/TURF/PESTS/weedkey.html


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## Jacqui

T-P said:


> Hi, various herbs are bad to feed.
> Please study or research in the herbs that are edible.



What herbs have you found to be bad? From reading places like Shelled warroirs and other sites, 
I have always found them to be ok. The torts normally don't eat them however because of the smell. 

Are these you think are bad proven bad or just assumed? Many plants are called poisonous, but yet aren't to torts or atleast not in normal amounts.

You really have me curious now TP.


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## T-P

Not everything is edible to tortoises, you will find there is some herbs that arent edible, and some are.

i havent assumed, or proven anything.


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## Jacqui

T-P said:


> Not everything is edible to tortoises, you will find there is some herbs that arent edible, and some are.
> 
> i havent assumed, or proven anything.



TP I think you misunderstood my questions or I just plainly didn't correctly state them.

I have looked in several places and my overall impression is that herbs are safe for tortoise in limited amounts. That most tortoises do not even like them, so most often it's only a nibbling. Now if they would eat a big bunch they would have problems with many of them....just as would happen with a lot of food we call good for them.

Herbs often have their smell or an oily ability which causes them to not be enjoyed greatly by torts. Heck we ourselves normally only use them sparingly as seasoning.

I was hoping if you knew of some specific ones, you would tell me so I could learn. I asked if they were proven or assumed, because we often just dump plants as poisonous if any animal (including man) has problems with them.

A great flower example is the common iris which is often placed on the poisonous list, but you see it safely in tort pens all the time. Or there are tomatoes which the fruit is good, but the plant can be toxic.


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## T-P

Tomatoes arent good for tortoises.. (if thats what you mean by them being good).

Sorry i misunderstood your questions, i didnt understand it so well to me it seemed like you was asking me if i had proven or whatever.

Sorry again, but my answer would be no i dont know any specific plants, i have just herd from some that not everything is fine for tortoises, including 1 or 2 herbs (which id love to know!)

Whilst im at this, does anyone know why some weeds arent edible?
as, if a tortoise is in the wild, they would practically eat what is around them...and you'll also find in the wild most tortoises will eat anything that is there...even stuff that "experts" claim is bad.


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## Cam

What about parsley and the like?


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## Jacqui

Cam said:


> What about parsley and the like?



Parsley is one I would try to avoid or do very limited amounts. It is low in calcium and also is high in oxalic acid. That acid is bad because it prevents calcium being absorbed.


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## Jacqui

TP:

Most of the stuff we call bad, isn't really. It's more the amount they get or getting it instead of things that are better for them. A lot of things are just put onto the poisonous list, because it is for some thing. For instance it could be dangerous for a horse to eat it, but a tortoise can handle it. Yet, you will find it on the tort poisonous listing.

In the wild the animals can choose not to eat something, where in captivity they are basically forced to eat whatever we place in front of them. They would naturally pick and choose stuff along the way. They also would have the ability to find water when they knew they needed it. Perhaps flushing their system when eating something bad. They get the sunshine, so they don't have to watch their calcium intakes as much or watch for foods that inhibit it's usage. 

They are walking and getting a lot more exercise then we give them. Exercise allows you to use your food quicker and in different ways then you would if just being a couch potato.

If they stumble across a bunch of fruit and eat it, whose to know? One of our main worries in like Russians, is the fruit causes the worm count to go high. In the wild they don't have to be in their dirty substrate, they just walk away (less chance of picking up worm eggs). Stress is lower(once more a reason we have worm "blooms"). Thus worms won't get so bad. Plus more then likely, they also make use of natural foods that help with worms, like for us we use pumpkins.

A lot of the food they find and eat are natural herbal remedies. 

The wild tortoises and the captive tortoises may be the same species, but because of being in captivity, it changes the entire nature of them. It's almost like comparing apples to oranges rather then comparing Red Delicious Apples to Granny Smith Apples even.


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## Crazy1

Well said Jacqui, well said.


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