toxic plant

[killazilla]

Okay, here's the deal... I have several decorational plants in my crested terrarium. One of them is a sego palm tree. I happened to wonder today if any of them were considered toxic, and I checked them out. According to the ASPCA toxic plant list I found, sego palm is toxic. This would obviously be a problem if ingested, but I doubt he would eat it. Any thoughts?

[portal_reptiles]

not worth the risk....lp

[samanthajane13]

It could also be that it has sap that is corrisive, but not necessarily TOXIC, but that's STILL NOT GOOD.

Google "toxic plants" or "reptile safe plants".  Look for a link associated with SUNY Cornell.

I can't find the sheets I printed to give you the website addy, but there's a very detailed list from Cornell Veterinary School ( I think). 

[Liz]

yeha i dont htink the crested is goign to eat it but theres always a chance and i wouldnt risk it

[firecrested]

They may not eat it but they will lick the water off of it when the enclosure is misted.

[killazilla]

Makes sense to take it out... just sucks cause i purchased it just for the cresty. Looks good in there, too. I just search for a safer palm type tree to get that tropical vibe i like. I'll crossreference the toxicity with any future plants.

[killazilla]

... this is bul***it! ... I just checked the ASPCA list of toxic plants again only to find out that the other plant I picked up today is toxic as well. What a bummer. For those of you who like to put pothos in your cresty cage, watch out for the golden pothos. I'm going to print off the whole list of toxic plants and go to Lowe's for more plants.

[Amethyst]

Personally I wouldn't worry about it.

Not only is Pothos toxic (most if not all varieties, which is funny because the ASPCA list also has Devil's Ivy listed, which IS pothos) but Snake Plant (Mother-in-laws-tongue aka Sansevieria) is as well, another staple viv plant. Depending on what site you are looking at even Weeping and Creeping Fig are toxic!

Rhac's don't eat leafy plants unless it's accidental. In order for any of these plants to be toxic they need to be ingested in large amounts on a regular basis, not just being bitten and then the lizard realizing this is not something it wants to eat. These would not be good plants for those animals that do eat greens, like Beardies, Uros etc, but for Rhacs they should not pose a threat. Licking water off of a leaf of any of these plants will do nothing to your Rhac (or any animal for that matter) it's actually chowing down on and ingesting the leaves, sap or seeds like cats/dogs/vegetarian lizards do that is the problem.

[Geckogal]

The snake plat is toxic? That's so weird... almost every book about herps has recomended it.... and these are recent books too...

[honuman]

snake plant is not toxic as far as I know.  It is recommended frequently for Leachies as it is rigid and can support their weight.  I imagine it is a question of the same common name for more than one plant.  Sansevieria is the plant that is used in terrariums. 

[Panther]

The only reason why pothos and philodendron are toxic is because they are high in oxalic acid, meaning they bind calcium and can lead to MBD if ingested regularly. So as long as they aren't in with herbivores, it souldn't be a problem. I saw somewhere that the cut leaves may be an irritant, although it was someone's opinion, not something more fully researched.

You could use hibiscus, bromeliads, orchids, ficus, peperonias.

~k

[RobertII]

Thanks for the heads up!
I was just about to purchase 1 this afternoon.
I know its possible to get away with it but I dont feel its worth running the risk.
Thanks again.

Robert