What plants are not toxic?

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Lizardz

New member
I been reading allot about what plants are toxic and what plants are not.

One place has a list of reptile safe plants, then I look up the plant they say is ok and they are toxic.. Then I look up non toxic plants on another site, and on the same site under the toxic plant section it will list the same plant.

People say to be careful and to use only safe plants, all the website that have list for reptile safe plants are toxic if you look them up on other websites.
Now why am I being careful about choosing non toxic plants if the plants that people are saying to get are toxic anyway?

I'm confused...:?
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Sanseveria, pothos recommended

Sanseveria and pothos will be just fine. They are "tough" plants which stand up well to frolicking geckos. I have used them in mourning gecko, day gecko, and crested gecko enclosures without problems for many years.

The geckos just lap water droplets from the leaves or from the glass. They do not eat the plants.
 
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Lizardz

New member
That's the thing. Pothos are highly toxic if you read about why they are.
But, people say not to use other certain plants that are even less toxic.
I'm wondering what it is we are really looking for?
If you trimmed a plant or if it was a broken or cut piece, like with Pothos. It could kill your reptile. Drinking water from a cut or broken piece of leave would not be good.

I think we need more scientific information for what to look for on choosing a plant which I can not find anywhere..
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
"lightweight" geckos & pothos

Lizardz ~

With mourning geckos---"lightweights" I must say, the chances are slim to nonexistent that a mourning gecko would break a leaf. To start new plants I have taken cuttings and rooted those cuttings in water. I have not had the occasion to return that plant to the vivarium.

I don't understand why you don't believe this has worked. These geckos generally always thrive and go on to lay umpteen fertile eggs. They reach the same size at maturity as their wild counterparts. One of my mourning geckos lived to be 17.5 yo before she escaped.
 
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Lizardz

New member
I do believe it will work, the thing I'm talking about is why are plants labeled as toxic ok and other aren't?
There's many plants that I might want to get, but I don't because they are labeled as toxic, but then I look for plants that are reptile safe according to other websites, and those plants are listed as toxic also..
I want to find plants that I can use and not just be limited to the small few that are recommended.

What type of toxic plants are ok and what toxic plants are not is the question.
Example here: http://exoticpets.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=exoticpets&cdn=homegarden&tm=165&gps=118_443_1020_602&f=00&tt=12&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/ce/king/PoisPlant/Tox-COM.htm

http://www.sniksnak.com/plants.html

and

http://www.sniksnak.com/plants-toxic.html
 
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Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
short of a battle

Thanks for posting that link. Interested folks can now see what the issues are with the many plants identified. Often seems as if the juice or sap of the plant causes some of the problems!

Short of a battle in a mourning gecko vivarium, access to the sap is not going to happen.
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Well, just as I think you have said, some plants are on both the toxic list and the non-toxic list. For example, sanseveria/snake plant!
 
S

StobbeToews

New member
I think the difference may be because althougth one plant may be very toxic, it is very durable and the sap/juice/etc which is toxic will not be encountered in a functioning vivarium and are therefore safe, but other plants which may or may not be more toxic are delicate and in a functioning vivarium may break and release the toxic sap/juice/etc which would make it unsafe to be used. Also, a plant which is toxic is more likely safe in a vivarium who's residents do not eat plants. In a vivarium of plant eaters, you must be more strict with plant choice. So... a plant can be both safe and unsafe, depending on use, and species.
 
C

Chum

New member
I had a look on this thread because it had been revived.

Lizardz said:
I do believe it will work, the thing I'm talking about is why are plants labeled as toxic ok and other aren't?
There's many plants that I might want to get, but I don't because they are labeled as toxic, but then I look for plants that are reptile safe according to other websites, and those plants are listed as toxic also..
I want to find plants that I can use and not just be limited to the small few that are recommended.

What type of toxic plants are ok and what toxic plants are not is the question.
Example here: http://exoticpets.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=exoticpets&cdn=homegarden&tm=165&gps=118_443_1020_602&f=00&tt=12&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/ce/king/PoisPlant/Tox-COM.htm

http://www.sniksnak.com/plants.html

and

http://www.sniksnak.com/plants-toxic.html
Click to expand...

So I tried the links above - I could not make the first link work, so I tried to go to the webpage and searc for toxic plants myself, and found this rather interresting article concerning the exact matter at hand here. For those of you who still care have a look :)

Plants for Terrariums with Reptiles and Amphibians - Live Plants

this article also linksto this other article that goes a little more in depth with the issue.

Edible and Harmful Plants
 
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