String of Bananas Succulent (Curio Radicans)

[spcarman]

Hello Everyone,

I am working on adding live (hanging) plants to my tortoise enclosure and I was wondering if the String of Bananas succulent (scientific name Curio Radicans) is safe for my adult leopard tortoise.

I haven't been able to find anything online, including this forum, about this particular plant yet. However, I am slightly concerned that it may be a poor choice, as it is apparently related to the String of Pearls succulent, which one source labels as toxic. To further confuse things, it's not really clear online whether the scientific name for String of Bananas is Curio Radicans or Senecio Radicans, the latter of which raises a bit of a red flag because many plants in the Senecio genus are toxic (to tortoises at least).

So, does anyone here have experience with this succulent? Feel free to add recommendations if you have affinities for any particular plants or succulents.

 

[spcarman]

More sources of (contradictory) information on this plant:

1. World of Succulents labels this plant as toxic.
2. Wikipedia doesn't have any information about the toxicity of this plant, but it does call it "edible" and says it was a source of food for some humans in Africa where the plant is found.
3. Succulent Plant Care labels this plant as NON-toxic and explicitly contrasts this plant from its more toxic cousin, the aforementioned String of Pearls (which is definitely toxic).

 

[Yossarian]

There doesnt appear to be a lot of info on the particular species Senecio Radicans. The succulent plant care link doesnt say it is non-toxic either, it merely says there is no information and it is not listed, also noting that its close cousin is toxic. The two plants are so similar in appearance I wouldnt take the risk.