Just a quick question. The stingers that you find in the garden that sting you and leave the white itchy marks on you, are these ok for torts to eat?

I have looked in the edible weeds thread and it has nettles on there are they what I would call stingers.

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1 Beardie (Bob)
3 Hermanns Tortoise (snap, crackle and pop)
1 Budgie (Billy)
1 kitty (biscuit)
2 Mice (Scruffy and Digger)

stinging nettles are not good no, the nettles you see on the oictures are whute DEAD nettle. they look like stingers, and that is there deffence. the have no prickles and you tell them apart cos they have white bell like flowers. or maybe pink/red flowers.

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The goat made me remember!! all hail the mighty goat

As tinkerbruce has already said stinging nettles are slightly toxic (it's the hairs on them that are) but white nettles are fine, here's the difference in them:

Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica:
Hairs - toxic





White Nettle (lamium):





Wouldn't it be great if somebody produced a pocket sized tortoise feeding guide for when we're out and about!

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thanks for the replies I did wonder cause they look the same.

Thanks again

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1 Beardie (Bob)
3 Hermanns Tortoise (snap, crackle and pop)
1 Budgie (Billy)
1 kitty (biscuit)
2 Mice (Scruffy and Digger)

Stinging nettles are fine as long as they are fed as part of a mixed, varied diet. As with most weeds and wildflowers variety is the key as too much of anything can be bad.

shame they can't eat stingers as there are always plenty around, I am looking forward to the chick weed coming, they love it !

ive used stinging nettles for years always thought they was ok didnt think they toxic

if you have used them for years then I expect they are OK !

picked some to night my hands are still tingling lol

Don't you find it interesting how there's such a variety of advice on what we should and shouldn't feed to torts even when we try and stick to a weed diet? Maybe interesting isn't the word... confusing would be better!

I remember reading somewhere that the toxicity in plants can take years to have any side effects so always try to steer clear of any that are toxic. I know stinging nettles aren't when they've been boiled or dried which I assume is because the hairs (which are toxic) fall off during those processes.

I know lots of people feed sticky weed, which again has been quoted as toxic by some.... I think I'll just stick with the ones that appear on the majority of edible plant lists.

Do others find it as confusing as me??

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