Calcifer eating potted Soil??

[Misha]

So sometimes ill come home and Calcifer is no were to be found and I have a mini heart attack! But when this happens he has made his way down to explore the bottom of his home and I thought that was great. So the first time I noticed him down there he shot at something and I didn't know if he was trying to get a cricket, so I didn't think anything of it. But today he ventured down to the bottom of his home again (which is not often) and I seen him making shots at something in the soil.....

I snuck over to see him and I'm watching and he is shooting at the little white pieces in the soil...!!! He is eating them and I freaked out!!! Why would he be trying to eat the soil of the plant? (The plant is a Schefflera that I got at a store called Dan Shantz) I hope this is not a red flag for something. Any ideas?

 

[kinyonga]

It's thought that they are looking for nutrients when they do this...but it's not proven that I know of. This is why we usually recommend not using the potting soil with the little white bites of perlite in it and recommend cov wrong the soil with rocks that are too big to ingest.....because wonder of wonders...they sometimes try to eat rocks too.

 

[Misha]

It's thought that they are looking for nutrients when they do this...but it's not proven that I know of. This is why we usually recommend not using the potting soil with the little white bites of perlite in it and recommend cov wrong the soil with rocks that are too big to ingest.....because wonder of wonders...they sometimes try to eat rocks too.

Oh ok, got ya! I will have to go out and get some and cover that up ASAP! Thanks!

 

[Dave Bolamperti]

I have a male Panther that would regularly go down and eat dirt till I covered the ficus with a layer of rocks. He thankfully had no ill effects, like kinyonga says maybe they are looking for nutrition missing in their diet
Good luck with yours
Dave

 

[ChamomilleCame]

I have also heard of nutrient deficiency being the cause of this. My first chameleon did this, and in fact I had not fed him any multi vitamins, so that could have been the cause. Many of the vitamins in those supplements should be fed to your gutload via fruit, vegs, and a good gutload anyway, so either look into what your insects are eating or his supplements. Just my two cents though, there might be something in the soil that just catches his eye.

 

[Misha]

I have a male Panther that would regularly go down and eat dirt till I covered the ficus with a layer of rocks. He thankfully had no ill effects, like kinyonga says maybe they are looking for nutrition missing in their diet
Good luck with yours
Dave

Thank your for your response! I will definitely cover the soil with some big rocks! This is the first time I actually seen him eat it so I think I caught him in the act early so he don't eat it anymore lol!

 

[Misha]

I have also heard of nutrient deficiency being the cause of this. My first chameleon did this, and in fact I had not fed him any multi vitamins, so that could have been the cause. Many of the vitamins in those supplements should be fed to your gutload via fruit, vegs, and a good gutload anyway, so either look into what your insects are eating or his supplements. Just my two cents though, there might be something in the soil that just catches his eye.

I am feeding my crickets with Papya and greens plus a gutload powder from Rapashy (spelled it wrong but I'm at work so I can't read the bottle but I looked at the reviews for that product and people said nothing but positive things about it so I continue to use it along with fresh veggies and geeens!) But maybe I should dust them with Calcium Plus? (Plus: it has vitamins in with the Calcium) it's by that Rapashy company too.

Thank your for your advice and response! Thank you kindly!

 

[ChamomilleCame]

I am feeding my crickets with Papya and greens plus a gutload powder from Rapashy (spelled it wrong but I'm at work so I can't read the bottle but I looked at the reviews for that product and people said nothing but positive things about it so I continue to use it along with fresh veggies and geeens!) But maybe I should dust them with Calcium Plus? (Plus: it has vitamins in with the Calcium) it's by that Rapashy company too.

Thank your for your advice and response! Thank you kindly!

I'm not familiar with that product, but yes if there are multivits in that calcium, I would try it out. I'd recommend looking up what the calcium/multivitamin ratio is in it to see if it is adecuate to use daily.
I have not been here in a while, so I haven't seen any of your post history. Have you also been feeding him calcium with D3 twice a month? These are really the 3 supplements (calcium daily, multivits and D3 twice a month) you shouldn't slack on.
Hope he does alright! Check the soil once in a while to check for any insects and what not

 

[Misha]

I'm not familiar with that product, but yes if there are multivits in that calcium, I would try it out. I'd recommend looking up what the calcium/multivitamin ratio is in it to see if it is adecuate to use daily.
I have not been here in a while, so I haven't seen any of your post history. Have you also been feeding him calcium with D3 twice a month? These are really the 3 supplements (calcium daily, multivits and D3 twice a month) you shouldn't slack on.
Hope he does alright! Check the soil once in a while to check for any insects and what not

Yes he gets Calcium every day and the D3 twice a month and Vit A twice a month.
So the product I was talking about since I am home now is the "Repashy Vitamin A plus" and the "Repashy Calcium Plus"

 

[ChamomilleCame]

Yes he gets Calcium every day and the D3 twice a month and Vit A twice a month.
So the product I was talking about since I am home now is the "Repashy Vitamin A plus" and the "Repashy Calcium Plus"

Seems good to me. The calcium plus has less vitamin A since it's meant for daily use, compared to the vit A plus. Again, like kinyonga said, supplements might not be the problem and it's just something interesting in the soil.

 

[Misha]

Seems good to me. The calcium plus has less vitamin A since it's meant for daily use, compared to the vit A plus. Again, like kinyonga said, supplements might not be the problem and it's just something interesting in the soil.

I hope its just something he see that is interesting enough that he has to taste it out hahaha! So the Calcium Plus I can use daily?
I have bin using ReptiCalcium without D3 as my source of Calcium but if I could get away with using the Calcium Plus daily then ill go with that!

 

[ChamLB]

You can put down a couple of layers of window screen under a layer of rocks to keep your feeders out of the soil and you chameleon from eating soil.