Bindweed

[Crystal2807]

I see on the forum it say's that bindweed is toxic, I adopted my tortoise in CO and that is the staple of the diet they feed there. Lilly has been eating it like crazy and she was at the rescue for just under 1 year. Is it toxic or ok? I was told the seeds were the only toxic part and that is only if fed copius amounts, I am confused.

 

[Yvonne G]

Bindweed is high in alkaloids, which would make it pretty toxic to mammals, however tortoises are much better able to process alkaloids. And they DO eat more toxic plants than mammals do.

 

[Crystal2807]

Bindweed is high in alkaloids, which would make it pretty toxic to mammals, however tortoises are much better able to process alkaloids. And they DO eat more toxic plants than mammals do.

So is it ok that she is eating a lot of it? She does really love it.

 

[ascott]

Is she eating alot of it because it is an invasive and populates quickly...so since there is alot of it she may be eating alot vs does she have equal other grazing items????

 

[JoesMum]

Joe adores bindweed and always has...

 

[Crystal2807]

Lilly has lots of other stuff to eat, she also loves dandilion. I don't have any bindweed in her pen but its all over behind the garage so I take her back their once a day to graze on it.

 

[Jacqui]

When my Russians are first put out into their enclosure each year, bindweed is the first thing they all head for. I know my CDT loved it as do my two older sulcata.

 

[Tyrtle]

Same for our Russians. They love it!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Bindweed is fine. Even though it's in the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae), it's palatable to herbivores. I've watched bison feeding on it at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, and domestic livestock eat it, too. As for tortoises, my Russian tortoises eat it from time to time when they're outside as well.