Cool link for wild tortoise diet

[floridajake]

I noticed my Sully going nuts over a weed that recently took over half my lawn. I had it identified by a local weed biologist as Mexican Clover(Richardia grandiflora and Richardia brasilensis, not related to "normal" clover). While searching the net for info on this weed, I stumbled across a website detailing native Gopher tortoise diet. A group of local scietists have followed gopher torts around all day for years and kept a log of what they eat. It turns out many of thier preferred weeds are also my sully's favorites, including the mexican clover. Here's the link, page 5 has an overall plant list and page 7 has a list of some of the preferred plants. http://www.ashtonbiodiversity.org/pdf/GopherTortoiseMngtInYard.pdf

 

[Yvonne G]

That's great. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading the material. Everyone should note that this is an article about FLORIDA'S gopher tortoises, and the list of plants on page 5 is to show you the FAMILY of plants. The plants shown in parentheses are not necessarily what the tortoises eat, rather to give you an idea of the plants in that FAMILY. For instance, in the nightshade family the plants listed in the parentheses are all toxic and I wouldn't offer any of them to my tortoises.

I wish someone would do such an in depth study of the Calif. desert tortoise. I know we have lots of scientists out there looking at our native tortoise, but it would be nice to have a published paper like the one done for the Florida gophers.

Thanks again for the link.

Yvonne

 

[egyptiandan]

That is great link.

Like Yvonne said you'd want to go by table 6B and not the first list for plants. It is interesting though that they eat poison ivy and milkweed.

Danny

 

[floridajake]

Yes, table 6B is the one of most interest, 6A is vague and includes known poisonous plants. I also thought it is interesting they eat poison ivy and milkweed according to table 6B. I've seen my sully Gosder "taste" weeds and just move on to something else tastier. I'd say it's a safe bet that grazing tortoises eat small quantities of poisonous plants in nature and this helps control parasites. I would never "offer" a known poisonous plant in a captive setting, but I don't get too worried about every little unidentified weed he eats either. If I see him really gorging himself on something new that grows in my yard, then I like to find out what it is, but more out of curiosity than worry.

 

[Madkins007]

Actually, poison ivy does not surprise me at all- many herbivores and browsers eat the stuff, and the oils affect only a few animals- as I recall, only primates.

 

[nature'sown]

I noticed my Sully going nuts over a weed that recently took over half my lawn. I had it identified by a local weed biologist as Mexican Clover(Richardia grandiflora and Richardia brasilensis, not related to "normal" clover). While searching the net for info on this weed, I stumbled across a website detailing native Gopher tortoise diet. A group of local scietists have followed gopher torts around all day for years and kept a log of what they eat. It turns out many of thier preferred weeds are also my sully's favorites, including the mexican clover. Here's the link, page 5 has an overall plant list and page 7 has a list of some of the preferred plants. http://www.ashtonbiodiversity.org/pdf/GopherTortoiseMngtInYard.pdf

Thank you I went to suggested site found it most helpful
Joe