Creeping Buttercup Friend or Foe?!?

BusyBee · 23-09-2009, 10:14 PM

Hi, I thought that the creeping buttercup was on our "Don't feed to your tortoise" list...my sister in Germany always feeds it to her Ibera tortoises and I have looked on a couple of german tortoise websites and they recommend it as a food...and recommend to avoid pansies?!? Surely they should either be good or bad? I'm confused now

**egyptiandan64** · 23-09-2009, 11:25 PM

Creeping Buttercups are actually part of the diet of Hermanns tortoises in the wild.

So it can be fed to tortoises, just not on a constant basis.

Danny

**Alan1** · 24-09-2009, 07:48 AM

I've read lists where it says pansies are toxic and lists where buttercups (creeping and non creeping) both aren't and are okay.

I'm pretty sure buttercups are toxic to humans

tortoiselady · 24-09-2009, 05:56 PM

my hermans eat creeping buttercup and have done for years

**16 shells** · 24-09-2009, 11:02 PM

Mine have had the odd nible of Butter Cups, and they went off Pansies last month, next year i am going to keep a record of when they seem to enjoy the plant, and when they leave it. Another one is Campanula, liked it early, went off it, back on it

Paul

**Alan1** · 24-09-2009, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 16 shells

Mine have had the odd nible of Butter Cups, and they went off Pansies last month, next year i am going to keep a record of when they seem to enjoy the plant, and when they leave it. Another one is Campanula, liked it early, went off it, back on it

Paul

I've noticed that with the campanula too but I've also noticed that the campanulas or some of them, are having a second growth of flowers. had soft leaves then flowers early, then hardened off leaves in mid summer then more new soft leaves and flowers now. they appear to like the soft leaves

rolleyparnell · 24-09-2009, 11:28 PM

how do i know the difference?
I google buttercup and creeping buttercup.. they look same!!!

**16 shells** · 25-09-2009, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rolleyparnell

how do i know the difference?
I google buttercup and creeping buttercup.. they look same!!!

There is not much in differance, Creeping Buttercups are more common in the mowed lawns, slightly hairey leaves, another is Meadow Buttercup, which prefares longer grass, they are all listed as toxic to cattle, horses and livestock.
Paul

Ozric Jonathan · 26-09-2009, 12:28 AM

The Meadow Buttercup is a very upright plant with usually a tall flower stem. The creeping one does what it says and stays pretty close to the ground. The leaf shape is the same.

Buttercups are Ranunculous species and tortoises in the wild do eat plants from that species but that's not the same as feeding them in captivity. Wild tortoises seem to get away with eating loads of things that we think are toxic, and fed in captivity they probably are because the tortoise is not browsing on 40 species like it is the wild.

My own opinion is that the possible hazard of feeding buttercups really isn't worth risking when there are a lot of other foods around.

I've also found differences in what forums and lists say internationally. I was recently harshly dealt with on a French forum for saying that Viccia species (Vetches) were a suitable food - the French keepers are completely certain those plants are toxic (which they really are not!!). That souce was really quite keen on feeding Alfalfa which is mostly not recommended at all for tortoises on UK forums and lists. They also took great exception to feeding honeysuckle flowers which I think most us in the UK do when they are out in our gardens.

Another big difference between us and the French is that they say the lawn daisy is a suitable food and they encourage this plant to grow. I think the standard advice here is not to feed it but equally its not a highly poisonous one. Oh, and the German keepers will feed ox-eye daisy , Meadowsweet and Comfrey(which we don't).

paulo peach · 26-09-2009, 02:26 PM

i let my little tort run havoc in the allotment in my garden, theres also weeds of all descriptions in the little weedy sections of the lawn. Out the back of my house is field upon field and a few ecology parks.

I find that when i take Sergio out on a little picnic for the day i let him wander about freely but in plain sight, and watch what he gets up to. I find he has his favorites and goes straight to them, or if he isnt sure about something, he tries a nibble, just to say breaks the leaf open, but quickly retracts if it is not too his liking. I'm assuming these are the poisonous ones. I only let him 'off in the wild' in places like ecology parks and nature reserves too. You can never be too carefull what the council have sprayed on the little grass verges and green bits in populated areas.

oh yeah, sorry for the rant. The point being, he has been known to nibble the occassional buttercup himself and lived to tell the tale.

23-09-2009, 10:14 PM	#1
BusyBee Member Egg Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Lincolnshire Posts: 70	Creeping Buttercup Friend or Foe?!? Hi, I thought that the creeping buttercup was on our "Don't feed to your tortoise" list...my sister in Germany always feeds it to her Ibera tortoises and I have looked on a couple of german tortoise websites and they recommend it as a food...and recommend to avoid pansies?!? Surely they should either be good or bad? I'm confused now __________________ 0.0.1 Testudo Hermanni Boettgeri 0.3.0 Dogs (GSP, Cross, EBT) 0.1.0 Longhaired Moggy 1.1.0 Guinea Pigs 0.3.0 Chickens (2 Marans & 1 Cochin) 1.2.0 Ducks (Welsh Harlequin & Indian Runner) 1.1.0 Children

23-09-2009, 11:25 PM	#2
egyptiandan64 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: USA Posts: 14,171	Creeping Buttercups are actually part of the diet of Hermanns tortoises in the wild. So it can be fed to tortoises, just not on a constant basis. Danny __________________

24-09-2009, 11:02 PM	#5
16 shells Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hull Posts: 7,286	Mine have had the odd nible of Butter Cups, and they went off Pansies last month, next year i am going to keep a record of when they seem to enjoy the plant, and when they leave it. Another one is Campanula, liked it early, went off it, back on it Paul __________________ Paul.

24-09-2009, 11:28 PM	#7
rolleyparnell Member Hatched Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 438	how do i know the difference? I google buttercup and creeping buttercup.. they look same!!! __________________ Debs x 5 Hermann name Bailey, Freddie, George, Minnie and Willow 4 rabbits and 5 Guinea pigs 3 mad cats and 1 dog (hearing dog for the deaf) 3 ferrets 2 daughters and 1 husband

26-09-2009, 12:28 AM	#9
Ozric Jonathan Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: West of Scotland Posts: 4,226	The Meadow Buttercup is a very upright plant with usually a tall flower stem. The creeping one does what it says and stays pretty close to the ground. The leaf shape is the same. Buttercups are Ranunculous species and tortoises in the wild do eat plants from that species but that's not the same as feeding them in captivity. Wild tortoises seem to get away with eating loads of things that we think are toxic, and fed in captivity they probably are because the tortoise is not browsing on 40 species like it is the wild. My own opinion is that the possible hazard of feeding buttercups really isn't worth risking when there are a lot of other foods around. I've also found differences in what forums and lists say internationally. I was recently harshly dealt with on a French forum for saying that Viccia species (Vetches) were a suitable food - the French keepers are completely certain those plants are toxic (which they really are not!!). That souce was really quite keen on feeding Alfalfa which is mostly not recommended at all for tortoises on UK forums and lists. They also took great exception to feeding honeysuckle flowers which I think most us in the UK do when they are out in our gardens. Another big difference between us and the French is that they say the lawn daisy is a suitable food and they encourage this plant to grow. I think the standard advice here is not to feed it but equally its not a highly poisonous one. Oh, and the German keepers will feed ox-eye daisy , Meadowsweet and Comfrey(which we don't). __________________ Testudo Hermanni Hermanni (Corse) tortoises

24-09-2009, 07:48 AM	#3
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	I've read lists where it says pansies are toxic and lists where buttercups (creeping and non creeping) both aren't and are okay. I'm pretty sure buttercups are toxic to humans

24-09-2009, 05:56 PM	#4
tortoiselady Member Incubating Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: leicester Posts: 223	my hermans eat creeping buttercup and have done for years

26-09-2009, 02:26 PM	#10
paulo peach Member Incubating Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Middlesbrough (ish) Posts: 194	i let my little tort run havoc in the allotment in my garden, theres also weeds of all descriptions in the little weedy sections of the lawn. Out the back of my house is field upon field and a few ecology parks. I find that when i take Sergio out on a little picnic for the day i let him wander about freely but in plain sight, and watch what he gets up to. I find he has his favorites and goes straight to them, or if he isnt sure about something, he tries a nibble, just to say breaks the leaf open, but quickly retracts if it is not too his liking. I'm assuming these are the poisonous ones. I only let him 'off in the wild' in places like ecology parks and nature reserves too. You can never be too carefull what the council have sprayed on the little grass verges and green bits in populated areas. oh yeah, sorry for the rant. The point being, he has been known to nibble the occassional buttercup himself and lived to tell the tale. __________________ Free Expression As Revolution

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