SoCal folks

[Renee_H]

Weeds 😄 I’ve been keeping myself busy identifying various weeds I have naturally growing within and near my enclosure. My plan isn’t to plate any of them as I’m growing intentional foods for that. But I’m at like 30+ varieties of weeds so far based on the iPhone plant ID and finding a lot of contradictions on safe vs not safe. Many don’t even appear on the tortoise table. Can I get a list of MUST remove for those in SoCal. Not the “not ideal” but the ones that might kill a tort if they decide to nibble or graze on them? I think I need to work backwards here and work to eliminate the ones that are truly a known issue. This is one example I’m confused on I believe it is a spurge variety or sandmat and this one I’m finding several of popping up everywhere. Many more obviously but this one is making me dizzy reading conflicting things. A Leopard will be living here 😁

 

[KarenSoCal]

First thoughts- oleander, datura (aka jimson weed). Jasmine is not good, but not sure about the "certain death" qualification.

 

[Tom]

Weeds 😄 I’ve been keeping myself busy identifying various weeds I have naturally growing within and near my enclosure. My plan isn’t to plate any of them as I’m growing intentional foods for that. But I’m at like 30+ varieties of weeds so far based on the iPhone plant ID and finding a lot of contradictions on safe vs not safe. Many don’t even appear on the tortoise table. Can I get a list of MUST remove for those in SoCal. Not the “not ideal” but the ones that might kill a tort if they decide to nibble or graze on them? I think I need to work backwards here and work to eliminate the ones that are truly a known issue. This is one example I’m confused on I believe it is a spurge variety or sandmat and this one I’m finding several of popping up everywhere. Many more obviously but this one is making me dizzy reading conflicting things. A Leopard will be living here 😁View attachment 375266

That grows here a lot in my yard, but not in the tortoise pens. I don't feed it to them on purpose, but its not deadly toxic to them either, as far as I know. I believe it is high in oxalates, which we are learning as time goes by, is not much of a problem for a tortoise.

It grows from a central root and spreads out forming a "mat" of sorts. If you begin picking it up at the edges and gathering up the whole mat in a clump in your hand, it is easy to remove the whole mat at one time by pulling out the root. I just pulled a whole pile of it from my yard this morning when I was cutting grass and clover to feed to my herd.

 

[Tom]

First thoughts- oleander, datura (aka jimson weed). Jasmine is not good, but not sure about the "certain death" qualification.

Oleander and azaleas are deadly toxic. I know of tortoises that have died from eating jasmine.

 

[Renee_H]

Well I stuck some items from my list into chatgpt and that was utterly unhelpful 🙃
I hope Bermuda grass is not actually toxic as it’s claiming. From what I’ve read here it is not. The jade plant is in the yard not the enclosure or anywhere near the enclosure. @Tom @KarenSoCal thank you so much. I’ll be sure the lists you both provided are removed first. 😁

When setting up an enclosure for tortoises, it is essential to ensure that the plants included are safe and non-toxic. Here are the plants from your list that are generally considered safe for tortoises:



1. ***** toes (Antennaria spp.)

2. Lesser swine-cress (Coronopus didymus)

3. Summer cypress (Kochia scoparia) – in moderation

4. Sowthistle (Sonchus spp.)

5. Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album)

6. Goosefoot (Chenopodium spp.)

7. Hibiscus (Hibiscus spp.)

8. Lemon grass (Cymbopogon spp.)



The following plants are considered unsafe or potentially harmful to tortoises and should be avoided:



1. Radiator plant

2. Jade necklace

3. Prostrate spurge (Euphorbia prostrata)

4. Matted sandmat (Chamaesyce spp.)

5. Sclerochloa dura

6. Knotweed (Polygonum spp.)

7. Jio

8. Creeping woodsorrel (Oxalis corniculata)

9. Koelreuteria

10. Petty spurge (Euphorbia peplus)

11. Annual bluegrass (Poa annua)

12. Peristylus

13. Aristatus

14. Hairy crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis)

15. Abram’s spurge (Euphorbia abramsiana)

16. Small leaf spiderwort (Tradescantia fluminensis)

17. Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon)

18. Jade plant (Crassula ovata)



Cucumber can be fed to tortoises in moderation but should not be a staple in their diet.



Always double-check the specific species and consult with a vet or a specialist in tortoise care to ensure the safety of the plants in the enclosure

 

[RosemaryDW]

The Tortoise Table is written in the UK; you won't find out much about plants from dry areas in it. The science in it is also wildly inconsistent; I don't use it.

I am a very casual feeder to a sturdy tortoise and would not leave the following:

oleander
jimsom weed
hemlock, which is pretty and very common here
nightshade, which is common in shadier places

While I don't worry about the prostrate (spreading) spurges, per se, I don't leave euphorbias in my yard. There is a non native euphorbia that shows up here that can be an eye irritant My Russian has never been interested in any spurge but as the one is a strong irritant I don't want them around. The spreading spurges are easy to pull so it's not a big deal.

Very few weeds in our area are problematic so I'd be prone to leaving them in. If you are unsure of a plant, search for it in this forum to see if others feed it. It's better than the Tortoise Table for sure. If you don't know what a plant is and have an iPhone, take a photo then look to see if there is a little sparkling info button. Click on it and chances are good the correct plant will come up.

 

[Tom]

If Bermuda grass is toxic, then my tortoises should all be dead. This makes the rest of that list suspect. Bermuda hay is one of the primary foods I offer to my grass eating species, and I soak and mix in Bermuda hay pellets for fiber when feeding grocery store lettuce and greens to non-grass eating species. I feed it to brand new hatchings and full size giant adults, and everything in-between. Bermuda grass grows wild in most of my pens, and they all eat it up. When I find it growing in areas that the tortoises can't reach, I water it and then regularly cut handfuls from it to mix in to the feeding buckets with all the other food. I've been doing this for more than three decades now, since the early 90s when I got my first sulcata and leopard tortoises.

I recognize some of the other safe plants, but not all of them. I'm not certain that I know most of the plants on the unsafe list, but maybe I'd recognize them with pictures?

What type of Jade plant do you have. The regular Jade plant is not toxic, and I have fed that to them before too.

 

[Renee_H]

If Bermuda grass is toxic, then my tortoises should all be dead. This makes the rest of that list suspect. Bermuda hay is one of the primary foods I offer to my grass eating species, and I soak and mix in Bermuda hay pellets for fiber when feeding grocery store lettuce and greens to non-grass eating species. I feed it to brand new hatchings and full size giant adults, and everything in-between. Bermuda grass grows wild in most of my pens, and they all eat it up. When I find it growing in areas that the tortoises can't reach, I water it and then regularly cut handfuls from it to mix in to the feeding buckets with all the other food. I've been doing this for more than three decades now, since the early 90s when I got my first sulcata and leopard tortoises.

I recognize some of the other safe plants, but not all of them. I'm not certain that I know most of the plants on the unsafe list, but maybe I'd recognize them with pictures?

What type of Jade plant do you have. The regular Jade plant is not toxic, and I have fed that to them before too.

This just randomly popped up on the opposite side of the yard. I IDd it to see if I could relocate it to the enclosure. I’m thinking no?

I’ll try to organize photos and post them soonish. Darn having a day job! 😂

 

[Tom]

View attachment 375426
This just randomly popped up on the opposite side of the yard. I IDd it to see if I could relocate it to the enclosure. I’m thinking no?

I’ll try to organize photos and post them soonish. Darn having a day job! 😂

I don't recognize that one, but it looks to be a type of sedum. Most sedums are safe, but a few are listed as toxic. "Brown bean" sedum was listed as toxic when I looked it up years ago. I had read somewhere that it was great to feed "sedum" to tortoises, and there are many species of them where leopard tortoises come from in the wild, so I went looking. Turns out there are about 500 species, and none of those guides recommending "sedum" mentioned WHICH sedum they were referring to. Well guess what was the only type offered at my local Home Depot? Brown bean sedum.

When I looked it up, "jade plant" was safe:

 

[Renee_H]

I don't recognize that one, but it looks to be a type of sedum. Most sedums are safe, but a few are listed as toxic. "Brown bean" sedum was listed as toxic when I looked it up years ago. I had read somewhere that it was great to feed "sedum" to tortoises, and there are many species of them where leopard tortoises come from in the wild, so I went looking. Turns out there are about 500 species, and none of those guides recommending "sedum" mentioned WHICH sedum they were referring to. Well guess what was the only type offered at my local Home Depot? Brown bean sedum.

When I looked it up, "jade plant" was safe:
View attachment 375427

I’m thinking iPhone isn’t correctly IDing for me maybe my pic quality isn’t best. I’ll use the other app someone recommended and see what I get. Also can I email you offline on another tort topic? I can’t figure out how to effectively send photos/videos through the PM feature on this forum.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

View attachment 375426
This just randomly popped up on the opposite side of the yard. I IDd it to see if I could relocate it to the enclosure. I’m thinking no?

I’ll try to organize photos and post them soonish. Darn having a day job! 😂

It looks very similar to "ice plant" (the one, known as Hottentot fig) (disclaimer: I'm bad in IDing plants!). It's safe in moderation, but not very palatable.

 

[Tom]

It looks very similar to "ice plant" (the one, known as Hottentot fig) (disclaimer: I'm bad in IDing plants!). It's safe in moderation, but not very palatable.

No, you are good. I almost said: "Sedum or ice plant of some sort...", so you might be correct.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

No, you are good. I almost said: "Sedum or ice plant of some sort...", so you might be correct.

Well, I won't tell dandelions from "cat's ears" So not really knowledgeable about plants. I don't confuse red cabbage with radicchio - that's my limit

 

[jaizei]

View attachment 375426
This just randomly popped up on the opposite side of the yard. I IDd it to see if I could relocate it to the enclosure. I’m thinking no?

I’ll try to organize photos and post them soonish. Darn having a day job! 😂

It looks an awful lot like pictures I see of crassula ovata gollum

 

[Yvonne G]

Weeds 😄 I’ve been keeping myself busy identifying various weeds I have naturally growing within and near my enclosure. My plan isn’t to plate any of them as I’m growing intentional foods for that. But I’m at like 30+ varieties of weeds so far based on the iPhone plant ID and finding a lot of contradictions on safe vs not safe. Many don’t even appear on the tortoise table. Can I get a list of MUST remove for those in SoCal. Not the “not ideal” but the ones that might kill a tort if they decide to nibble or graze on them? I think I need to work backwards here and work to eliminate the ones that are truly a known issue. This is one example I’m confused on I believe it is a spurge variety or sandmat and this one I’m finding several of popping up everywhere. Many more obviously but this one is making me dizzy reading conflicting things. A Leopard will be living here 😁View attachment 375266

Spurge - high in oxalates