taken from: http://www.reptilecentre.com/care_sh...on_panther.htm

''Grate up a carrot and put it in the cricket tubs. This provides moisture and also beta carotene which will be turned into vitamin A by the chameleons.''

Highly questionable, but not known to be true or false.
I use carrot as part of the gut load and I supplement with preformed Vitamin A.

-Brad

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http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
Dedicated to promoting superior care for Veiled Chameleons

it's a cheap easy way to feed/gutload you crickets, though it'll last two days tops befor you'll have to change it or risk making your Chams sick.

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Aida: 56.25% Ambanja, 25% Nosy Be, 18.75% Tamatave; Osirus: 50% Ambilobe, 50% Ambanja

carrots are ok as a part of a gut load, but not as 100% of gutload

Brad is correct, there is not enough proof either way. Also yes carrots are a great way for insects to get their moisture, crickets, roaches, supers, etc. But we do know for sure that roaches can convert beta carotene into usable vitamin A.

-chris

Carrots are also moderately high in oxalates, which bind calcium and prevent it from being absorbed by the cham.

However, as mentioned, carrots are a good source of beta carotene, so I definitely think they should be part of a gutload, but just not an exclusive part of the gutload.

Balance is everything when it comes to gutloading.

YES absolutely include carrot as part of your gut load. I have included carrot as one the things I feed my roaches and crickets and meal worms etc for YEARS and have had very long lived, healthy happy chameleons. Carrot should NOT however be the ONLY food you feed your crickets.

I am not advocating the elimination of beta-carotene from a gut-load diet. Regarding its value as a vitamin A precursor ..... well, you can decide when the "proof" threshold has been satisfied, if ever.

In 2002-2003, we included generous amounts of ground carrots in our gutloads. We still do. In 2003 we had accumulated a statistically significant number of visual observations suspected to be hypovitaminosis (insufficient) A. We considered other causitive agents as well. Our continued diagnosis and treatment eliminated all other causitive agents that we could think of, and the addition of real Vitamin A into the diet caused the symptoms to disappear in over 90% of the specimens. We have since accumulated data on over 100 chameleons where beta-carotene was generous in the gut-load, hypovitaminosos A was observed, and then the symptoms remedied by the addition of real Vitamin A (pre-formed Vitamin A, such as retinal palmitate) to the diet, given orally directly to the chameleon. Our numerous attempts to administer vitamin A via gut-load have all been assessed as inadequate.

Absolute "proof" is a matter of opinion in all things supplemental. "Proof beyond a reasonable doubt" is a lower threshold. My opinion would be solidly that beta-carotene is an inadequate precursor for Vitamin A in the chameleon species that I have worked with, and would swear it with regard to pardalis. That beta-carotene as a gutload is an inadequate source of Vitamin A for chameleons is an opinion that has been independently arrived at by some of the biggest names in chameleon medicine and husbandry, beginning in the latter '90's, to include Abate, Stahl, Alfonso, and Ferguson. Hope that helps.

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Jim Flaherty
The Chameleon Company, LLC