Eating Dirt...

So I just got my chameleon a live plant for his cage. He started nibbling at the leaves. Then he started eating the dirt. His spit his tongue at it like 3 times now. Should I take it out?
The dirt is just a fine powder. No big clumps

First make sure the plant is not toxic, you can check the plant list in resources. When you purchased the plant you should have removed it from the pot, washed way all the dirt from the store and replaced it with potting soil not treated with pesticides or fertilizer.

As for the dirt eating. You can cover the exposed dirt with live moss or large river rock. I have also covered dirt with pet screen.

I suggest large river rocks over moss as veiled chameleons will also eat moss.

If he continues to eat the dirt he can become impacted which will either kill him or cost you very large vet bills.

Yah. its not toxic. I already cleared that up thnx to Pssh.
Now I just need some river rocks. that should fix the problem.

Eating dirt

Is he purposely eating dirt or gets some on his tongue while going after food? Sometimes when reptiles purposely eat dirt it is due to mineral deficincies in their diet.

Digby Rigby _______________________

I just read up on deficiencies and eating dirt is a sign of vitamin a deficiency start gut loading with a heathy low sugar cereal like hony bunches of oats mixed in with ur gutloading diet "Just what I have been reading" http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=17+1796&aid=3027

DJ Richey Rich said:

I just read up on deficiencies and eating dirt is a sign of vitamin a deficiency start gut loading with a heathy low sugar cereal like hony bunches of oats mixed in with ur gutloading diet "Just what I have been reading" http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=17+1796&aid=3027

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Which part of the article that suggest eating dirt as a sign of hypovitaminosis A?

Just been reading about deficiencies and "reptiles" and other animals will lick dirt if there lacking a vitamin or meneral it was a thought not a fact thats y i left a website of symtoms of it so the cham owner could look for him self if mine was eating dirt i would seek a vet

Well i put river rocks over the dirt so he cant eat it. But I gutload my crickets with some flukers calcium water. Some powder stuff thats supposed to provide a buncha nutrients. And I throw some potato peels in there every so often too. I dust the crickets properly. So I wouldnt think vitamin defficiency should be a problem. Shiiit, he eats better than I do! lol

I do have another question though...

When it comes to water, I use a spray bottle and spray his cage down a few times a day. Is tap water okay? Ive been filling it with bottled water.

I prefer filtered water. You should be feeding the feeders a variety of high calcium foods like kale, collard greens, and mustard greens. They also should eat things like bee pollen, apples, pears, and carrots. A dry gutload is not enough.

Singularity said:

Well i put river rocks over the dirt so he cant eat it. But I gutload my crickets with some flukers calcium water. Some powder stuff thats supposed to provide a buncha nutrients. And I throw some potato peels in there every so often too. I dust the crickets properly. So I wouldnt think vitamin defficiency should be a problem. Shiiit, he eats better than I do! lol

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Unfortunately, I do not think flukers calcium water and standard commercial dry gutload is a good enough source. They are made from chicken food. and, most are very poor in nutrients.

potato peels is not a good enough wet gutload either. I would suggest:
Dandelion leaves, kale, collard green, carrots, apples, mustard green, etc.

pssh said:

I prefer filtered water.

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Hi Kara,
Do you mean you use filtered water to mist the chameleon? Do you boil the filtered tap water and then use it?

Does the chlorine in the tap water hurt the chameleons? Can you use dechlorinators that they sell for use with aquarium water?

Michael

I use filtered water from my fridge. I've also used tap water, but I prefer to use filtered water. What I get my chameleons get. Many leave out a bucket of water 24 hours before they need to use it so evaporate any chlorine in the water. I've also use de-chlorinater but again, I prefer filtered water. It's really up to you, do you feel safe using your tap water?

I buy the gallon jugs of drinking water from local stores. I keep it setting in my room so it stays room temp and not very cold. They last atleast a week depending on how much you use

So long as you leave your bucket of water outside. Chlorine does not evaporate but rather requires, as an alternative to direct chemical nuetralisation, UV light.
The ultraviolet energy "breaks" the molecular bonds of the compounds reducing them to their basic elements. These basic elements will combine with others to form benign compounds.