Reptile & Amphibian Forums

When feeding Dandelions, how careful do you have to be about the stems? I know they can eat the flowers and leaves. Is the "milk" in the stem part poinsonous to Uros? Or is it OK if you accidentally get some stems mixed in? Sometimes the center part of the leaf itself even has some of that 'milk' in it, do you have to be careful about that? I've always avoided feeding the stems and the central stalk of the leaves to my Beardies for fear the white stuff could harm them. But I never actually asked about it or was told one way or another.

Interesting tidbit of info I learned last year... Dandelions are not a native US plant. They were imported from Europe and have adapted well. Too well most would say, unless you own Dandelion loving reptiles of course. Anywho, the name Dandelion is French and it means "teeth of a lion" referring to the jagged edged leaves.
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Lyns Lair
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
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I feed the flowers whole including the stem to my chuckwallas and I've got friends who also feed flowers and stems regularly to their beardeds. Once I was curious, about how they tasted and ate one (kind of bitter) with no ill effects.

-Alice

thanks for the info. i really like etymology and now that you say it means lions teeth i can see how that is.
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

Directly translated from the English word, yes, it means that. But the real French word used for it is "pissenlit".
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1.1 Mali Uromastyx (Ra and Isis)
1.1 Satanic Leaftail Geckos (Diablo and Samael)

Nah, the stems aren't dangerous. They contain more of the milky astringent sap, so they are very bitter. The leaves contain this sap as well, and they are edible by humand and uros alike. You needn't be concerned about the stems.
I personally picked the stems off when I was feeding WDs, and offered flower heads and leaves, but that was simply because I feel the stems don't have a lot of nutrition to offer, in addition to their bitterness...not that the WDs seemed to care if they ate one, lol.