Ok, I'm starting to get concerned. I've been reading about plants and weeds and their seems to be a lot of things out there they can't eat. I have an outdoor pen and I've noticed Clifton eating a small plant/weed. I'm trying to identify the plant and haven't been very successful. Should I be concerned? Will these guys just start eating things that are bad for them? Do I need to remove all unfirmilar plants/weeds? I think it may be Buttonweed? I've also noticed some mushrooms popping up....oh boy, now I gotta be a botanist too?
Outdoor Plants...
- Thread starter Jackson
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Normally they say on here they don't tend to mess with things that will poison them however, I am like you and would be to afraid I would have the one that would. I honestly would do a basic search online of your area you live in and native weeds. Also, be careful that they are mushrooms and not toad stools.
All mushrooms and toadstools are fungi. Mushrooms may be poisonous and toadstools may be safe.
The study of fungi is called Mycology... so you have to be both a Botanist and a Mycologist to keep torts
The study of fungi is called Mycology... so you have to be both a Botanist and a Mycologist to keep torts
I should also have said that generally torts are pretty good at knowing what is not good to eat. Poisonous plants produce toxins to stop animals and bugs eating them, so generally they make it clear by smell or a biter taste that they are not edible. We humans are not so clever as the rest of the animal kingdom in only trying a little bit or smelling trouble before we taste it.
Of course mistakes can be made, but I for one don't go round pulling all the poisonous plants from my yard. I even have a yew tree, which has very poisonous bright red berries; Joe has never touched them. Despite his passion for all things red, he just walks on by the berries on the ground.
Of course mistakes can be made, but I for one don't go round pulling all the poisonous plants from my yard. I even have a yew tree, which has very poisonous bright red berries; Joe has never touched them. Despite his passion for all things red, he just walks on by the berries on the ground.
For me, and please understand I say this from kindness, to allow any captive tortoise to be exposed to toxic plants and giving them the opportunity to ingest them is irresponsible. Many plants contain oxalates which while not directly poisonous, over time will do terrible things to your tortoise by binding with calcium, rendering it unavailable for your tortoise. When we remove the animal from its real habitat, and put it in an artificial environment we can't count on them knowing what's what.
Re: RE: Outdoor Plants...
In a small enclosure that is possible and I agree. When living an outdoor lifestyle in a large garden it is physically impossible and they can and do make the right decisions when there are plenty of right choices to be made instead.
Cowboy_Ken said:
In a small enclosure that is possible and I agree. When living an outdoor lifestyle in a large garden it is physically impossible and they can and do make the right decisions when there are plenty of right choices to be made instead.
Like Linda (JoesMum), I let my tortoises be the judge as to whether they should eat something or not. For instance, there is an awful lot of oxalis in Dudley's pen. It would be impossible for me to either pull it or poison it. And Dudley seems to leave it alone. He eats the grass all around the oxalis, but not the weed itself.
The pictures in the Tortoise Table Plant Database are good for identification, especially if it has flowers http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp
Their plant booklet is a good pictorial guide too http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_booklet_8595_40.asp
Their plant booklet is a good pictorial guide too http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_booklet_8595_40.asp
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Awesome info! I cant get my new tort to eat anything but spring mix dandelions and some weeds im unsure of- they have a lil yellow bloom on top i mean like a very tiny tiny yellow bloom- and also he is pooping everywhere- he will leave behind little suprises everywere??
Cally- Russian Tort <3
Cally- Russian Tort <3
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