I picked up a goji (wolfberry) bush today (so I can eat the berries).
Both the leaves and the berries are edible for mammals and birds (deer and rabbits partake readily, and humans can eat the leaves, too). I did a search for goji and tortoises... obviously I'm not giving them the fruit, but I was curious about the leaves. The Tortoise Table classifies goji leaves as toxic to tortoises (http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?mode=main&catID=493)
I am curious why this is? I always err on the safe side, but the biochem nerd in me wants to know. If the levels of alkaloid atropine are high enough to harm a tortoise, why can mammals and birds eat the leaves?
Both the leaves and the berries are edible for mammals and birds (deer and rabbits partake readily, and humans can eat the leaves, too). I did a search for goji and tortoises... obviously I'm not giving them the fruit, but I was curious about the leaves. The Tortoise Table classifies goji leaves as toxic to tortoises (http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?mode=main&catID=493)
I am curious why this is? I always err on the safe side, but the biochem nerd in me wants to know. If the levels of alkaloid atropine are high enough to harm a tortoise, why can mammals and birds eat the leaves?
