are pothos plants toxic?

will187

New Member
So im looking into getting a live plant for pedro, and ive been reading up on the much promoted "pothos" or Epipremnum aureum . i read about it on a wiki page, and was a little concerned with what i read there.

Epipremnum aureum, also known as the Pothos (once classified under the genus Pothos), Silver Vine, Centipede tongavine, Devil's Ivy and Solomon Islands' Ivy, is an aroid native to southeastern Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia) and New Guinea. It is sometimes mistakenly labeled as a Philodendron in plant stores.

The plant is listed as "toxic to cats, toxic to dogs" by the ASPCA, because of the presence of insoluble raphides. Care should be taken to ensure the plant is not consumed by house pets or children. Symptoms may include oral irritation, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. (souce: Wikipedia)

is this true? is it JUST cats and dogs/children it affects? i certainly dont want to put anything in pedro's enclosure that could harm him or cause any distress whatsoever. let me know what you guys think.
 
Ah be careful! I learned that not all pothos are safe for chameleons.

The golden pothos variety is the safe one!

This is the same with all other plants. Just match up the scientific names on the FLChams Safe plant list and you will be good!
 
I have a non-golden pothos that my veiled chameleon munches on every now and then.
I think the quantity they would need to consume to be harmful in any way is far more than a chameleon would be able to consume in a day or even a week.
 
I have a non-golden pothos that my veiled chameleon munches on every now and then.
I think the quantity they would need to consume to be harmful in any way is far more than a chameleon would be able to consume in a day or even a week.

agreed. i'd say their pritty harmless. learn from experince though.
 
Be sure it isn't a philodendron or whatever.

They are fine for lizards. Mammals and reptiles are different, so not everything that applies to mammals is the same for reptiles.
 
Be sure it isn't a philodendron or whatever.

They are fine for lizards. Mammals and reptiles are different, so not everything that applies to mammals is the same for reptiles.

agreed, + you really should not use wiki as a place to find all your info. not saying its false. just could be.
 
Scheffeleras are on the safe plant list for chameleons as well, but they are also on a list of toxic house plants. Like Pssh said, there is obviously a difference in how reptiles digest compared to mammals. I've also had my Veileds munch on Oleander and they never became ill. However, they didn't digest it- they completely passed it looking just like a chewed up piece of leaf.
 
https://www.chameleonforums.com/plants/showplant.php?plantid=6&browse=scientific&view=photo&order=compatible




no. they are on the sites safe plant list. click resources than plants. i went ahead and gave you the link above

ok. im a bit confused. you say its on the safe plant list. and ive seen it myself, and yet, even on this site it says:

Toxicity and Irritants
This plant is high in oxalates and can be somewhat toxic when eaten in large quantities. If a chameleon is eating this plant frequently, removal of the plant should be considered.
 
So, yes, it is toxic, but it is also safe to keep with a Chameleon (or a cat for that matter, if it's not eating it.....) unless the cham is eating it in large quantities. If it's just a nibble every now and then it's just for moisture or roughage......
 
ok, so how much should i consider a large quantity? i know im splitting hairs, but i actually really like this plant and think it would be great for his viv. so if he's, like, decimating the plant, get it out, but a leaf or two every now and then wont hurt kinda thing? and also.. dave, suffering from insomnia too? lol
 
ok, so how much should i consider a large quantity? i know im splitting hairs, but i actually really like this plant and think it would be great for his viv. so if he's, like, decimating the plant, get it out, but a leaf or two every now and then wont hurt kinda thing? and also.. dave, suffering from insomnia too? lol

Yeah, you'll notice the occasional bite sized bit of leaf missing......not a prob. - If you see a leaf or more gone at once then you might start to worry.......
And lol, suffering, me? Never :cool:.....having fun, smoking away, listening to tunes with a mate I've not seen in a bit. Just watched Reservoir Dogs - even better than I remembered it.......going to work now....I'm an idiot but I'll get through it :D
 
Some chameleons have eaten whole pothos plants without issue. I don't think it's much of an issue.
 
Many of my veiled females have stripped a whole pothos plant bare of leaves and they still managed to live to be over 6 years old...so I think that is indication enough that the pothos is not toxic to them.
 
It's toxic in certain amounts so if the Cham enjoys it then it'll eventually kill him. Kinda like anything can poison us in large quantities. You can actually die from drinking to much water.
 
they are fine

So im looking into getting a live plant for pedro, and ive been reading up on the much promoted "pothos" or Epipremnum aureum . i read about it on a wiki page, and was a little concerned with what i read there.

Epipremnum aureum, also known as the Pothos (once classified under the genus Pothos), Silver Vine, Centipede tongavine, Devil's Ivy and Solomon Islands' Ivy, is an aroid native to southeastern Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia) and New Guinea. It is sometimes mistakenly labeled as a Philodendron in plant stores.

The plant is listed as "toxic to cats, toxic to dogs" by the ASPCA, because of the presence of insoluble raphides. Care should be taken to ensure the plant is not consumed by house pets or children. Symptoms may include oral irritation, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. (souce: Wikipedia)

is this true? is it JUST cats and dogs/children it affects? i certainly dont want to put anything in pedro's enclosure that could harm him or cause any distress whatsoever. let me know what you guys think.


they are ok. I use a ficus and all though they say they cause eye irritation I have never had any problems.
 
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