Any idea what these 3 plants are and can I feed them to my Russian tortoise?
- Thread starter Timmythetort8
- Start date
Mr.pacheco
Active Member
Hi I don’t have a Russian I have a red foot but I have some edvice me personally have no clue what those are but I also now that most plants are safe for tortoises but I would not feed them to your tortoise because if you aren’t 100 percent on what they are don’t feed it to them it could harm them and have long time effects on them just keep asking questions on different threads and story pages and soon someone might be able to figure it out but don’t feed it to them for the time being 🙃
I don't know what they are but none of them look like something a tortoise would eat.
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
The first picture is of a young tree. Maybe californian black oak Quercus kelloggii considering your location. The tortoise table: "The Oak has TOXIC properties that are most potent in the spring (young buds and leaves) and autumn (acorns). The leaves and acorns contain tannic acid, which causes gastroenteritis and kidney damage, and has been known to kill horses. It would therefore be best to eliminate any risk to your tortoise by clearing up fallen leaves and not siting the tortoise enclosure close to an oak tree." https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/?plant=261&c=4
The second picture looks also like a young tree or a shrub, maybe in the xylosma family. I don't know anything about feeding them to tortoises, but to be on the safe side, I wouldn't. We don't have this plant in Finland, so I had to google it, so this identification isn't certain-
The last picture looks like a Firethorn of some sorts (Pyracantha family). This should not be fed. The tortoise table: "This plant belongs to a genus in which most, if not all, members produce the poison hydrogen cyanide. This poison is mostly concentrated in the leaves and the seeds and imparts a bitter taste, so it is possible that tortoises would avoid it anyway, but to be on the safe side do not plant this shrub near your tortoise enclosure." https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/?plant=350&c=4
I absolutely wouldn't feed the plants in the first and last picture, as there is a chance that they are toxic. Since I can't identify them 100%, I would steer clear from them, just because they can be very toxic.
The second picture looks also like a young tree or a shrub, maybe in the xylosma family. I don't know anything about feeding them to tortoises, but to be on the safe side, I wouldn't. We don't have this plant in Finland, so I had to google it, so this identification isn't certain-
The last picture looks like a Firethorn of some sorts (Pyracantha family). This should not be fed. The tortoise table: "This plant belongs to a genus in which most, if not all, members produce the poison hydrogen cyanide. This poison is mostly concentrated in the leaves and the seeds and imparts a bitter taste, so it is possible that tortoises would avoid it anyway, but to be on the safe side do not plant this shrub near your tortoise enclosure." https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/?plant=350&c=4
I absolutely wouldn't feed the plants in the first and last picture, as there is a chance that they are toxic. Since I can't identify them 100%, I would steer clear from them, just because they can be very toxic.
