? about eating live plants..

[mattj]

I know certain plants are "safe" for chameleons. But are they healthy for them in the way greens are healthy for us? I'm assuming yes based on the fact that if they give us vitamins they'd probably do so for chams.

I ask just because my veiled often eats at his pothos. He gets plenty to eat between crickets and other various feeders. Just wondering also if that means he is missing something and trying to get it from the plant. He gets supplements also.

I have noticed he doesn't really try to eat much dirt anymore. Which he was doing for a little while.

 

[camimom]

He could be dehydrated, some people think that when veileds eat alot of vegitation, its because they need more water.

 

[mattj]

Hmm. His urate looks fine. I have a mistking that goes off every few hours. Been that way for a while. Maybe ill add another session in. He also gets a dripper every other day.

 

[camimom]

how often does it go off and for how long?

 

[mattj]

I don't remember exactly. But first is about an hour after lights on in the am. Last is an hour before lights out. And 2 more inbetween.

The first 3 are for about 2 minutes. The last is I think a minute. Enough to get wet and dry in between.


But again to my first question. Do the plants provide any type of vitamin or health benefits. Or is it just something for them to munch on.

 

[fluxlizard]

I encourage mine to veggies and they have always done great with them. I feed salads like you would make for an iguana, only I shred them and offer them in a bowl. I put the insects in the bowl. At first they only eat the greens because they stick to their tongue when catching bugs, but after a while they chow down on the salad even when there are no bugs. They are more than something to much on- for my females especially they make up a significant part of the diet. I figure why only gutload the bugs, why not the lizard too?

 

[Mijah139]

Veileds' natural environment can undergo dry seasons in which the chameleon will eat live plants to makeup for the lower amount of insects and water. So it is more common (especially among the veileds) to eat plants than most people think. Giving the cham some vegetables to eat, you can even used pureed vegetable baby food, is another good way to increase the calcium in its diet. Make sure that the plants are pesticide free of course, and that the phosphorous and protein levels arent too high