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This may be a silly question, but I see dandelion leaves as good to eat for RES. Are the leaves the green leafy part, or the yellow petal part? Are the petals safe for turtles to eat? Thanks!

The green leafy part is what's usually eaten. It's part of a lot of the salad mixes you get at the grocery store. They're good for people too. The flowers can be eaten too but I think they are bitter. Maybe turtle's don't mind.

My bearded dragons like the flowers! If you pick your own, make sure they haven't been treated with any pesticides or other chemicals.

I've seen land turtles eat the flowers, but I've never given them to my aquatics (to me they're not bitter---I've tasted them). I've never seen dandelions as part of the bagged salad mixes that can be bought here, perhaps this is the norm in other parts of the country. Larger supermarkets that sell a lot of different types of veggies usually sell dandelions by the pound (you can get bunches that are less than a pound if you look). The supermarket nearest me sells both the organic and regular variety. I try to buy the organic leaves because they're usually smaller, more tender and less bitter (some aren't at all).

I do use them in my own salads as well. They're better for your turtle than any of the lettuces, and if your turtles eat them that's great. I feed them to my turtles more frequently than any other green, but do alternate with other plant matter. In the spring I will pick my own sometimes, but actually like them better from the store.

yeah you can buy a whole bad of dandilion leaves at the grecery store, but they are usually sold as gormet specialty food stores like whole foods or central market. i get mine at central market. they sell them organic. but cental market is just an austin thing. i also buy organic red leaf there. spoiled turtles!

we've got Whole Foods and Central Market in the Dallas area too. I think Whole Foods is national now.

my dad works for central market. i didnt realize they had one is dallas tho!

Lucky you! A trip to Central Market is an event!