Are the leaves of the houseplant Pothos Ivy safe for my Russian?

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Is Pothos acceptable for a Russian tortoise to eat? Someone mentioned that they leave (no pun intended) pothos for their tortoise when going on vacation. I have not fed our guy Pothos but putting a pot of live Pothos in his enclosure if we had to leave sounds like a good idea if the plant is safe.
Please advise!

thanks.
 

Yvonne G

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I wouldn't pick them and feed them to a tortoise, however, if they bit/nibble off a piece or two of a pothos plant in the enclosure, it won't harm them. They are high in oxalates and the tortoise knows when to stop nibbling (unless it's piled up on his plate)
 

Lyn W

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If using shop bought plants make sure you wash the roots and repot in chemical free soil, then allow time for the pesticides and fertilisers that would have been used on the plant to grow out - up to a year I believe.
www.thetortoisetable.org lists plants that are safe or toxic to torts and is a good guide.
 

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Great info. Thank you both. We don’t have any immediate trips planned and I grow Pothos from cuttings in water so I think it’ll be ok when I need them.
 
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