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Toxic plants

Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 11:10 pm
by blueberry
Hello all :3
Just wondering if I could put a live indoor plant with my bts. It's is a spathiphyllum plant also know as white butterfly flower and I really like it because it provides shade for my baby however there is a caution sign saying harmful if eaten and skin and eye irritant. I've been touching it a lot and it doesn't really irritate my skin so I'm wondering if they put it there just for caution. (Soaps and shampooos also say the same thing) Also my bts isn't really know for destroying or eating random things, she is actually quite picky.
I would really like to know if it is safe my me the put the plant there? Has anyone actually had a bts fallen sick from toxic plants?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

Re: Toxic plants

Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 1:00 am
by kingofnobbys

Re: Toxic plants

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 5:29 am
by splashy07
Putting live plants in with your skink may look pretty, but will not last long. They are like little bulldozers, and I wouldn't want mine sampling any type of house plant as food. Save the live plants for the dart frogs, geckos and anoles that won't make a total mess of it. Naturalistic vivs just don't work well for BTs.

Re: Toxic plants

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 2:54 pm
by That_Gardener
No to the Spath, Peace Lilies have a salt in them that can irritate their mouth if eaten. You can find really good, cohesive lists of toxic and unfriendly plants for reptiles and other animals. Through the process of elimination, you can typically figure out plants that are either edible or just not palatable.

Re: Toxic plants

Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2026 11:57 am
by vana
We have some irian jaya skinks (in seperate vivariums).

I certainly is possible to make a naturalistic (bioactive) vivarium for blue tongue skinks. We have a potting soil mix (with spagnum moss, orchid bark and earthworm castings) as a substrate, topped with leaf litter.

We've tried several different plants in the cages, and so far snake plants, pothos and kangaroo fern have done well long term. We are going to try some other plants also. It would be a good idea to pick nontoxic plants; I've seen my skink nibble on one.

The plants are planted in net pots, with the rim protruding from the soil. That seems to reduce the risk of the skinks digging them up, and their roots and go into the surrounding substrate.