jobi,
Excuse me, I'm absolutly horrible with sarcasm. Even to my face I don't always catch it! I realize what you are saying about the leaves, however, the tortoises were Sulcatas, thus grazers by nature and undiscriminating towards foodstuff. The most commonly implicated toxin found in oak trees are in the immature leaves in the spring, or in the freshly fallen acorns also in the spring. Toxicosis from oak is produced by high concentrations of tannic acid and its metabolites, gallic acid and pyrogallol. These toxins cause ulcer-like lessions in both the upper and lower GI tract, as well as liver lesions and death of renal tubular tissue. In the totoises in question their stomachs were full of partially digested oak leaves. Extensive necrosis was found in the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and kidneys. Basically, the leaves destroy various tissues throughout the body. This, ovbiously, results in death. This is what I meant when I said oak leaves were toxic when ingested.

Regards, EMWhite

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