Carnivorous Plants in Chameleon Enclosures

[AllFallDown]

Hey everyone,
My curiosity hit me as I started searching around the forum regarding carnivorous plants. As I have mentioned in other threads I am a long time avid carnivorous plant grower (I have somewhere between 150 and 200 varieties in my collection at my house right now plus I oversee a smaller public collection.

I found the following thread where the topic was raised and briefly discussed:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-come-nobody-uses-carnivorous-plants-73591/

rather than resurrect an old thread I thought I would do the more socially acceptable thing and start a new thread. I am curious to know if anyone out there does put carnivorous plants in their enclosures. If so what do you keep in there? Have you had problems?

I have my thoughts on the matter too but thought I would see what others have to say first.

*By the way: if there are any other CP collectors on here, I like tradin

 

[laurie]

I love carnivorous plants. My favorite is pitcher plants. But carnivorous plants are one of the few type plants I can't keep alive.

 

[AllFallDown]

I love carnivorous plants. My favorite is pitcher plants. But carnivorous plants are one of the few type plants I can't keep alive.

What kind of pitcher plants? Do you mean the American kind that point straight up (Sarracenia) or the tropical ones that look like cups hanging on to a leaf by a thread (Nepenthes), or one of the other types (Heliamphoras and Cephalotus).

 

[laurie]

The ones that look like a cup hanging off a stem/leaf. Bet I have brought a dozen home & killed them.

 

[ponders]

I use sundews above my cages under the lights to catch gnats and escaped FF.
I have nepenthes, butterwort and sarracenia in terrariums. I throw FF in there occasionally, just for fun. LOL

 

[Solid Snake]

I cant keep a venus fly trap alive. Any tips?

 

[Whatcamo]

They take an acidic soil a good mix is 3/4 peat moss to 1/4 mushroom compost and add in some silkworm, cricket, and roach poop if you have it around that's what I've done and all of mine have started to show promising new growth after also almost loosing them

 

[laurie]

Hey everyone,
My curiosity hit me as I started searching around the forum regarding carnivorous plants. As I have mentioned in other threads I am a long time avid carnivorous plant grower (I have somewhere between 150 and 200 varieties in my collection at my house right now plus I oversee a smaller public collection.

I found the following thread where the topic was raised and briefly discussed:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-come-nobody-uses-carnivorous-plants-73591/

rather than resurrect an old thread I thought I would do the more socially acceptable thing and start a new thread. I am curious to know if anyone out there does put carnivorous plants in their enclosures. If so what do you keep in there? Have you had problems?

I have my thoughts on the matter too but thought I would see what others have to say first.

*By the way: if there are any other CP collectors on here, I like tradin

Looks like you need to teach us how to keep them alive when we can get some from you.

 

[Solid Snake]

They take an acidic soil a good mix is 3/4 peat moss to 1/4 mushroom compost and add in some silkworm, cricket, and roach poop if you have it around that's what I've done and all of mine have started to show promising new growth after also almost loosing them

Thanks! Maybe I can save this one yet! ;D

 

[AllFallDown]

Did this get moved out of the "classifieds" section already?

 

[AllFallDown]

They take an acidic soil a good mix is 3/4 peat moss to 1/4 mushroom compost and add in some silkworm, cricket, and roach poop if you have it around that's what I've done and all of mine have started to show promising new growth after also almost loosing them

Really? Never heard of that before. I would have guessed this might be bad for them over time as there would be a lot of nutrients in that soil media.

 

[AllFallDown]

I use sundews above my cages under the lights to catch gnats and escaped FF.
I have nepenthes, butterwort and sarracenia in terrariums. I throw FF in there occasionally, just for fun. LOL

With your chameleon? Does the cham bother them? Thats what I would be concerned about (and of course harm to the cham.)

 

[AllFallDown]

I cant keep a venus fly trap alive. Any tips?

My suggestions:
1) Venus Flytraps LOVE light. They are full sun plants.
2) The soil needs to stay moist but not sopping wet. Best way to do this is the use a soil media like 50/50 sphagnum peat moss (pure peat moss, made sure no fertilizer is added- avoid miracle gro brand) and perlite or peat moss and sand. Then, keep the pot in a tray of water that comes up about a 1/4 of the way up the pot.
3) Use only distilled or RO water. No tap water unless your TDS is below like 70PPM, and avoid things labeled as "Spring water" and "Drinking water", these usually have stuff like fouride and salts added.

That is it. Sun, clean water, moist peat based soil, allow them to go dormant in the winter.

Venus flytraps do NOT require high humidity. Do they like it? Sure, but they do not need it. I have mind growing outside in my back yard in full sun all year (I pull them in when the temps hit triple digits though), our humidity here is almost always below 20% (in the summer as low as 14%).

Can they be grown inside (at least short term), sure but you need lots of bright light hitting them. In the winter you also need to make sure they are allowed to go dormant. They will look like they are almost dead when dormant. Think bulbs, they will come back.

Hope that helps!

 

[AllFallDown]

Looks like you need to teach us how to keep them alive when we can get some from you.

Most really are not that bad (as in they are fairly forgiving of mistakes), it is a matter of figuring out what weird little stupid thing will make them mad.

Do you recall what your nepenthes looked like or where you got it? Some nepenthes are super hard to care for, others are easier than house plants.

 

[DanSB]

It seems like you know a lot about carnivorous plants so you could probably answer your own questions (I personally don' know).

I would first want to know how toxic they are if a chameleon eats it. Veileds eat plant matter I've heard and I know my senegal does. This is difficult to come by information as most toxicity lists are for mammals and don't necessarily correlate.

I would next want to know if they are acidic or have anything that would irritate the skin or cause stress. I would think picture plants could be an issue if they get that sticky stuff on them?

Next do they have any sharp edges or thorns that could cause physical danger.

Finally would the plant thrive in the same conditions as the cham?

once all the above is checked I'd go for it.

 

[chameleoman]

i love carnivorous plants but they always die on me but i'm pretty sure everyone would enjoy some pics of your cool collection

 

[Mredhorse]

Not sure about other chameleons, but my Veileds love veggies and when I tried some Sundew and Neps. They were eaten within a few hours so the only plants I keep with them are ones that are intended for food.
few of my plant babies..

 

[AllFallDown]

i love carnivorous plants but they always die on me but i'm pretty sure everyone would enjoy some pics of your cool collection

Oh for sure. I'll post some when I get home later.

 

[chameleoman]

Not sure about other chameleons, but my Veileds love veggies and when I tried some Sundew and Neps. They were eaten within a few hours so the only plants I keep with them are ones that are intended for food.
few of my plant babies..

DDDUUUUDDDDEEEEEE what dont you have!?!?!?!?!?! cool stick bugs, awesome chams, if that avatar pic is yours you have sea horses, AND NOW YOU HAVE CARNIVOROUS PLANTS?!?!?!?!?!!? . . . . . . . ur lucky

 

[Solid Snake]

My suggestions:
1) Venus Flytraps LOVE light. They are full sun plants.
2) The soil needs to stay moist but not sopping wet. Best way to do this is the use a soil media like 50/50 sphagnum peat moss (pure peat moss, made sure no fertilizer is added- avoid miracle gro brand) and perlite or peat moss and sand. Then, keep the pot in a tray of water that comes up about a 1/4 of the way up the pot.
3) Use only distilled or RO water. No tap water unless your TDS is below like 70PPM, and avoid things labeled as "Spring water" and "Drinking water", these usually have stuff like fouride and salts added.

That is it. Sun, clean water, moist peat based soil, allow them to go dormant in the winter.

Venus flytraps do NOT require high humidity. Do they like it? Sure, but they do not need it. I have mind growing outside in my back yard in full sun all year (I pull them in when the temps hit triple digits though), our humidity here is almost always below 20% (in the summer as low as 14%).

Can they be grown inside (at least short term), sure but you need lots of bright light hitting them. In the winter you also need to make sure they are allowed to go dormant. They will look like they are almost dead when dormant. Think bulbs, they will come back.

Hope that helps!

It does it does!

I have been trying to keep one alive in a small terrarium I made.
I figured the high RH would be key.
It doesnt get much light in there though. Id say that, and the use of tap water is the likely culprit. Thanks!