Poisonous Plants Schefflera pueckleri ?

[Justsomedude]

I am having a hard time finding a suitable plant for my panther chameleon enclosure. I have come across a few umbrella plants however they are listed as poisonous! the Schefflera pueckleri is listed on reptile magazines web site as a safe plant for chameleons however when I look it up it comes across as a poisonous plant!!? I don't get it! Can Chameleons survive on a plant like this? If not what would you recommend? Shoot me a link to somewhere I can purchase a safe plant for my setup thanks guys I appreciate it!

 

[Leo Chance]

The schefflera that is commonly called the Hawaiian umbrella tree is safe for sure. Our female veiled has eaten a couple of them.
What kind of Chameleon are you keeping? Some plants are safe to some animals & not others, but one of our panthers has the plant you are concerned about in his cage, that is where he sleeps every night & he has had no problems.

 

[guanagator]

You want schefflera arboricola, it's safe and usually in the indoor plants area of your local lawn and garden or hardware store.

 

[brownie64]

I've had a Schefflera in my enclosure for over a year now, and don't see anything wrong maybe it's just poisonous to humans.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

This plant has always been known to me as a mildly /somewhat poisonous plant. That alone makes me leery about keeping this plant with my chameleons. However I am one who has and have known many other keepers who have used these plants for long periods of time as plants kept with chameleons and never heard a problem report about toxic ingestion of this type of Schefflera (Schefflera pueckleri) with chameleons species. I would say I would not keep this plant as an enclosure plant with known plant eating chameleon species Veiled Chameleons (Chamaeleo calypatratus).

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

An appropriate pairing with other non plant eating species of chameleons under close observation is appropriate to live with Schefflera pueckleri. However I would recommend monitoring these enclosures to confirm if your chameleon is consuming these plants.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[Justsomedude]

hey thanks so much guys its a male panther just for the record and thank you very much I appreciate it!

 

[Chase]

I would not use this type of Schefflera. All parts of this species is poisonous to us. Even handling it can cause a reaction, so I would be very careful.

Chase

 

[TheCoop]

I have been using Schefflera with my chams for 20 plus years with zero issues, this included a rather large Veiled colony in the 90's. I had no ill effects even when consumed.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

I would not use this type of Schefflera. All parts of this species is poisonous to us. Even handling it can cause a reaction, so I would be very careful.

Chase

Chase

Have you got documentation of some kind of the rashes these plants cause? I work with Schefflera spp. a lot and never have seen rashes caused by them? Regarding toxicity I normal am more concerned about ingestion of Ficus leaf and Avocado leaf matter. Another good one seems most chameleon keepers/people think Ficus benjamina are totally non toxic. However they are somewhat toxic (their white sap) and that is one of the most popular plant for chameleons in the hobby.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[wodesorel]

It's allergic dermatitis, so it has to do with the person more than the plant. I've been reacting pretty strongly to mine if I break a leaf and get sap on my skin. However, I have a latex allergy and I also get skin reactions to pretty much anything that grows from the ground. (Tomato plants act like stinging nettles, for instance.) There's a few scientific papers on it, here's one on Schefflera arboricola: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2940058

 

[Justsomedude]

wow thanks a lot guys!

 

[brownie64]

Ok so not trying to beat a dead horse here, but let me see if I got this straight. There are different types of Schefflera, and some are poisonous?

 

[Justsomedude]

No I totally agree man it's confusing as hell however the main gust is that although the plants are considered mildly to moderately poisonous the charms are good to go on them regardless. I always take info from vets who have been in the trade for a long time and if someone like that says they are good to go I think you got nothing to really worry about

 

[brownie64]

No I totally agree man it's confusing as hell however the main gust is that although the plants are considered mildly to moderately poisonous the charms are good to go on them regardless. I always take info from vets who have been in the trade for a long time and if someone like that says they are good to go I think you got nothing to really worry about

Thanks I'm glad you cleared that up was getting a little worried here.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Actually to clear things up there have been many reports for a long time now that the majority of the plants in the tropics are toxic. I have heard several times now from productions series such as Planet Earth that as much of 90-95% of the plants that grow in these forests are toxic. When I locate literature I shall post. I think the best you can achieve is to monitor your chameleons enclosure for foliage eating. However while monitoring your chameleon you notice foliage eating you should offer not toxic foliage for chameleon consumption. Golden Pothos Epipremnum aureum is another toxic plant commonly used for chameleons.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich