# Whose tortoise actually eats cilantro?



## RosemaryDW (Apr 2, 2017)

It's a food that's regularly recommended on the site and I don't doubt that it's safe but it's an herb with a fairly strong flavor. I'm just wondering who has got a tortoise that really enjoys it? I'm sure mine would eat it if she got hungry enough but that hasn't happened yet.


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## jaizei (Apr 2, 2017)

I'm still trying to figure out why people eat it.


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## Jodie (Apr 2, 2017)

I occasionally mix it in with the other greens. All of mine eat it fine this way.


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## RosemaryDW (Apr 2, 2017)

jaizei said:


> I'm still trying to figure out why people eat it.



LOL, it is a love-hate herb for sure.


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## Cymmie (Apr 2, 2017)

I have tons of herbs I grow that I offer my torts (that are tort safe of course) cilantro is one of them, I always make sure to offer it with regular greens, and only offer a small palmful of mixed herbs with a handful and a half of regular greens.


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## Cymmie (Apr 2, 2017)

But Teo is not picky with fresh veggies or greens... I don't know why everyone else has so many problems  maybe I just got super lucky with him. I know at the pet store I got him from his diet was super limited. I do not have another tort in my life so I have never experienced the possibilities of a picky tort. And none of my other animals are picky except the mammals in my life. But most of my plants and insects for my various reptiles are home grown, I guess I am lucky for that. ^^ The only thing I have found him particular with is pellets but he's easy enough to make eat those if I soak them and mix them with a veggies or pumpkin or something ^^. I feel blessed with him in my life.


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## Tom (Apr 2, 2017)

Cymmie said:


> But Teo is not picky with fresh veggies or greens... I don't know why everyone else has so many problems  maybe I just got super lucky with him.


In my experience, its not luck. Most breeders feed their babies things that are easy to get and deal with, like romaine or spring mix. Some breeders (me) go to great lengths to introduce their babies to all sorts of new and novel weeds, flowers, leaves and succulents in their first few days and weeks. My hatchlings don't see the same greens twice for their first two weeks or longer depending on the time of year. As a result, people who buy my hatchlings say they eat anything and everything.

If your breeder took the time to introduce lots of new stuff then our baby won't be picky. If not, you will have to spend weeks or months getting them used to new foods. Where did you get your tortoise?


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## Tom (Apr 2, 2017)

RosemaryDW said:


> It's a food that's regularly recommended on the site and I don't doubt that it's safe but it's an herb with a fairly strong flavor. I'm just wondering who has got a tortoise that really enjoys it? I'm sure mine would eat it if she got hungry enough but that hasn't happened yet.



All of mine eat it. I usually make it part of a mix, but my stars, leopards and sulcatas will all eat a pile of it plain too.


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## Tom (Apr 2, 2017)

jaizei said:


> I'm still trying to figure out why people eat it.



I recently read something saying there is a "cilantro gene". People who have the gene love it and people who don't, don't'.

I must have it because I love cilantro. I don't eat many greens or veggies, but I pile cilantro on tacos and burritos. I love cilantro soups and salsas too. Best soup I ever had was a cilantro soup in a new little Mexican cafe in Chicago of all places.


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## motero (Apr 2, 2017)

I love it too. So do my tortoises. Some of the weeds they eat are alot more unpalatable than cilantro.


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## RosemaryDW (Apr 2, 2017)

Tom said:


> I recently read something saying there is a "cilantro gene". People who have the gene love it and people who don't, don't'.


Tastes like dirt to the ones with the anti-gene, it seems. More cilantro for me!


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## Cymmie (Apr 2, 2017)

Tom said:


> In my experience, its not luck. Most breeders feed their babies things that are easy to get and deal with, like romaine or spring mix. Some breeders (me) go to great lengths to introduce their babies to all sorts of new and novel weeds, flowers, leaves and succulents in their first few days and weeks. My hatchlings don't see the same greens twice for their first two weeks or longer depending on the time of year. As a result, people who buy my hatchlings say they eat anything and everything.
> 
> If your breeder took the time to introduce lots of new stuff then our baby won't be picky. If not, you will have to spend weeks or months getting them used to new foods. Where did you get your tortoise?



Not sure who the breeder was. Probably our local tortoise rescue runner that has the occasional hatchlings. I ended up buying him at 2 years of age from a local pet store in our area who keeps animals rather well but needed him to be moved because he was too big for his enclosure, so I took him (planning to rehome him with the right family) fell in love XD


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## Jabuticaba (Apr 4, 2017)

Tom said:


> I recently read something saying there is a "cilantro gene". People who have the gene love it and people who don't, don't'.
> 
> I must have it because I love cilantro. I don't eat many greens or veggies, but I pile cilantro on tacos and burritos. I love cilantro soups and salsas too. Best soup I ever had was a cilantro soup in a new little Mexican cafe in Chicago of all places.



Actually, it's the opposite: People who hate cilantro are carriers of the gene OR6A2, which makes them sensitive to aldehyde chemicals. They make up about 15% of the human pop.


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## Jabuticaba (Apr 4, 2017)

RosemaryDW said:


> It's a food that's regularly recommended on the site and I don't doubt that it's safe but it's an herb with a fairly strong flavor. I'm just wondering who has got a tortoise that really enjoys it? I'm sure mine would eat it if she got hungry enough but that hasn't happened yet.



I have 2 tortoises and they both have differing opinions about cilantro. I guess they're just like humans.


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## Tom (Apr 4, 2017)

Jabuticaba said:


> Actually, it's the opposite: People who hate cilantro are carriers of the gene OR6A2, which makes them sensitive to aldehyde chemicals. They make up about 15% of the human pop.



Thank you for the correction and clarification.


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## RosemaryDW (Apr 4, 2017)

Jabuticaba said:


> Actually, it's the opposite: People who hate cilantro are carriers of the gene OR6A2, which makes them sensitive to aldehyde chemicals. They make up about 15% of the human pop.



How interesting!


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