Calcium in natural habitat?

[filip]

I am wondering where do chameleons get calcium in their natural habitat? If the insects that they eat are so low in calcium and if most of the species are arboreal and rarely come to the ground where they might find some, how do they get it???
F.

 

[Square]

Ive been wondering the same thing. I dont know of any insects that carry large amounts of calcium in them....so what gives?? where do they get it from?? ......I have one theory but it involes duct tape, a toothpick and ten tons of milk..

 

[sativa420]

i do believe chameleons eat other small animals in the wild. like lizards and baby birds. i suspect thats where they might get calcium from

 

[LBJAMOE]

Nature's Calcium

My guess would be from consuming small mammals (mice etc.), birds and other reptiles. The bones from these animals are primarily composed of calcium and when digested, small amounts are absorbed by the chameleon.

This is just my guess, so please do not hold me too it.

 

[Brain916]

I have read some where in the past that when your chameleon gets bigger you can feed them pinkys, so I would guess like everyone else is saying is correct.

 

[filip]

Thanks for your toughts...
That would be a nice solution except for 2 things. The first is even if they eat lizards and mammals they can do that only when they are full grown, and when they are babies they can't (as these animals are too big for them), but that is the time they need most of the Ca!
The second thing is that I think chameleons can't digest bones...I know snakes can as they have a long period of digestion, but I guess chams can't...
I was thinking they could get it from lime rich soil or stones , but that would meen they have to come to the ground...
It is just an interesting question to me...
F.

 

[Hempa]

Think about that chams eats a much more varying diet in the wild, not just crickets and silkworms. And those insects probably eats more varying than what we provide them (even if we gutload).

But I agree its an interesting question.

 

[Cherron]

I agree with Hempa about the natural gutloading being far superior to our own attempts at it. A lot of the reason that we dust with calcium also has to do with calcium/phosphorus ratio. The ideal ratio is 2:1. The feeder insects that we most often feed are closer to 1:1. So, by dusting the insects with calcium we get closer to the ideal range.

Here is a great article that explains calcium supplementing in great detail:

http://www.chameleonnews.com/calcium.html

 

[lbesok]

I just found a video of this cham crunching up some bones that I thought I would share:

 

[booshified]

I just found a video of this cham crunching up some bones that I thought I would share:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNzsGiVvOgA

that is intense

 

[Ren]

I just found a video of this cham crunching up some bones that I thought I would share:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNzsGiVvOgA

To me that is disturbing, hahaha, I will never feed my animals .....well other animals I guess. LOL Insects are one thing, but the mouse is another in my opinion.

 

[lbesok]

To me that is disturbing, hahaha, I will never feed my animals .....well other animals I guess. LOL Insects are one thing, but the mouse is another in my opinion.

Is it because he's eating some bodies momma? lol I just couldn't resist. I agree though, it is pretty hard core.

 

[Ren]

I don't really mind that, my cousin has a snake room at his tattoo shop, and he has a 13ft Burmese(sp) and 4 -5 corn snakes red tail boas and some other snake, so he raises mice rats and rabbits... now the snakes i have watched feed many times.. you feel a little bad but know thats the way it is... I just couldn't have my chameleon eat one... just seems wrong hahaah

 

[sativa420]

i have two snakes that eat rats. i have no problem wayching them eat because they swallow. the fact that cham was chomping on that mouse just didnt sit right you know? call me a pussy but ill never give pablo mice.

 

[Red Bishop]

I think I read on this site somewhere that the life expectency is shorter for chams in the wild. I think supplementing with calcium has proven to keep issues at bay that may still happen in the wild. So, I would say adding calcium is not to mimick the standards of the wild, but improve on them.

 

[Phatturk]

OH MAN!! That video was nutts!!! I had no idea!!

 

[cowchick]

Very cool vid! It would be interesting to know the lifespan of WC chams...as the captive bred ones they say are 3-5 years!

 

[Brad Ramsey]

It's not uncommon for captive chams to surpass the 5 year mark anymore.
I agree that we strive to create better conditions for the animals we keep than they would experience in the wild.
I disagree that the insects available to them in their natural habitat are better gut-loaded than what we provide.
In captive culture these animals are getting a superior diet, provided that their keepers are offering a decent variety and gut-loading properly.
Calcium can be obtained through consuming insects that have been eating dark leafy greens such as collards, which are higher in calcium than milk, and a good dry gut-load that has been fortified with calcium.
I don't think the insects retain it but if they are full of it when fed off, they become vessels full of nutrients.
The same would apply in the wild where plant eating bugs would be full of the calcium rich plants they have been feeding on.

-Brad

 

[Red Bishop]

I have heard CB chams can live to 10 years, but it may depend on the breed. Some more knowledgable people would have to chime in on this one though.

 

[Will Hayward]

Sunlight. Something no one mentioned unless I missed it. Some thoughts;

Natural sunlight is the main source of Life for these creatures. With such unfiltered ultraviolet light, exactly to which the animals have evolved to both endure and depend on, they utilise every bit of nutrients, vitamins or minerals in their diet. While in captivity we may potentially offer better food (with a fraction the variety though) it is the sun and natual homeland that lets the chameleon properly absorbe what it needs.