Sam,
I am not sure about feeding it to Trachemys scripta elegans as the bulk of their diet, especially when considering they are more carnivorous than herbivorous in their dietary habits. I keep those species and grow Ipomoea aquatica in their pond for them to nibble on. I notice the Cuora ambionensis eating it from time to time, but they also forage around their pond for other edible plants nearby. The bulk of their diet is made up of live fresh water shrimp, guppies, live blood worms and supplemented with pellets.
Since this is a tortoise forum, for Geochelone elegans (as well as G. sulcata, G. pardalis, and G. radiata), they are grazing tortoises. The bulk of their diet should be made up of grasses, which in Southeast Asia, there are wild grasses which occur in their natural habitat. Over 50% of the diet for the above Geochelone species listed above that I keep is made up of mixed grasses. The rest of that diet is split up among many vegetables, mostly leafy. Approximately 15-20% of what makes up their daily salad is Ipomoea aquatica.
For my Indotestudo elongata and Geochelone carbonaria, about 1/3 of the greens that make up their diet is Ipomoea aquatica, which would make up about 25% or so of their total diet.
In doing a nutritional analysis of all the vegetables available in Southeast Asia, Ipomoea aquatica is among the most suitable to be included in a diet of herbivorous reptiles and tortoises due to its favorable calcium to phosphorous ratio and other nutrients. Yes, it is cheap here, but cheap does not mean less nutritious.
I believe in varied diets of highly nutritious foods for my herbivorous Chelonians. The only part of my tortoises’ diet which can be considered the bulk of a diet are the mixed grasses for my grazing species.
Of all the breeders and zoos that use Ipomoea aquatica as part of the diet of their tortoises or herbivorous reptiles, I have never heard a report of a problem with this plant. I also have not had any problems with the above listed species or my iguanas. Your report is the first I had ever heard.
Cheers,
Michael
>>mrcota
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>>WARNING on Ipomoea aquatica
>>Is that what they sell as water spinach or "Kang kong "
>>in asian store
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>>I am from Malaysia and they grow in the wild here also they are one of the cheapest Vegie sold
>>Most pet shop here feed their Trachemys Scripta elegans , G.elegans just on them (Ipomoea aquatica)cheap n convience
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>>But from personal experience if given in large quantity n long term forming bulk of the diet of many chelonia(Trachemys Scripta elegans , Cuora amboinensis n G.elegans )has a laxative effect on them
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>>Cheers SAM
