Feeding green beans

ZEROPILOT

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I just discovered a stash of green beans growing under my grape vines.
I planted them and forgot them.
Now that my grape vines have gone dormant for the winter. I've discovered a lot of green beans.
Is there any reason why I can't feed some to my Redfoot?
Is there a toxicity or anything I'm not aware of?
 

Beasty_Artemis

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I thought that i remembered reading somewhere that they were bad for red foots...?
 

Yvonne G

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I don't know where I got it from. . . it's just one of those old, old things that seems to be stored away in my memory bank, but it is my understanding that most reptiles have a hard time digesting or getting the nutrients from legumes, grains, etc.
 

ZEROPILOT

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They ate a few.
So that's what I'll give them..... A few.
Today it was cactus, purslane, hibiscus leaves, flowers and a half dozen beans and an overly ripe banana.
Exactly what was growing within 20 feet of the enclosure.
I gave away most of the beans to neighbors.
 

TammyJ

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They ate a few.
So that's what I'll give them..... A few.
Today it was cactus, purslane, hibiscus leaves, flowers and a half dozen beans and an overly ripe banana.
Exactly what was growing within 20 feet of the enclosure.
I gave away most of the beans to neighbors.
You might find that if you steam (cook) the beans, the tortoises will love them.
Or maybe not.
My green iguanas and redfoots love cooked kidney beans - an occasional treat.
 

ZenHerper

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String beans contain protein, so-called toxic lectins, and very low levels of saponins.

Cooking destroys lectins (and their nutrition binding effects).

If a healthy tort's diet is complete and varied, there's no reason to not include string beans in moderation. I would definitely refrain from making them the Main Course.
 

Ink

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My leopard eats them sparingly for 13 years. I then ,I too thought I read, recently not to feed them to the tortoise. Is there a certain species or age when not to feed them green beans?
 

ZenHerper

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My leopard eats them sparingly for 13 years. I then ,I too thought I read, recently not to feed them to the tortoise. Is there a certain species or age when not to feed them green beans?

Using them sparingly is likely fine across most demographics.

I might avoid them entirely in any animal who's health status is of concern (new, hatchling, diarrhea, regurgitation, dehydrated, nutritionally deprived/restricted/unvaried diet, extremely elderly, known health challenge that restricts protein intake or exacerbates malnutrition).
 

Tom

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My leopard eats them sparingly for 13 years. I then ,I too thought I read, recently not to feed them to the tortoise. Is there a certain species or age when not to feed them green beans?
No. Any time is fine. Just feed it in moderation. I feed it to hatchlings, but small amounts and not very often at all. Maybe a few times a year. I like to feed everything under the sun to babies when possible. This makes it so that they eat anything once they go to their new homes. I introduce so many new foods so frequently that buyers of my babies tell me they eat new things the first time they see them, even if they've never seen that item before. In general, my babies don't see a repeat of the same foods for at least two weeks after they hatch.
 

Toddrickfl1

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I feed my Redfoots green beans often. They love them but then again there's not much they don't lol.
 
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