Dandelion greens?

[bkullman]

Do chameleons eat dandelion greens?

 

[pssh]

Plant eating ones can, but I would not recommend frequently as they have oxalates that prevent calcium absorption. A little is good for variety, but you shouldn't really use them exclusively.

 

[bkullman]

Plant eating ones can, but I would not recommend frequently as they have oxalates that prevent calcium absorption. A little is good for variety, but you shouldn't really use them exclusively.

Thanks for the info I picked some up at the grocery store for my six month old veiled but maybe will pass on these as he needs all the calcium he can get right now

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Where did you see they have high oxalates? I've never heard that. I know older leaves are higher in oxalates (per sandrachameleon), but I don't believe they're high enough to be a concern like other veggies can be. Dandelion leaves are generally regarded as excellent gutload material because the calcium ratio is high.

bkullman - I don't think you can ever really give them too much calcium so it wouldn't hurt to give something high in calcium, especially if you're going to substitute it for something with lower calcium. They're good at excreting excess calcium and always need high amounts of calcium for proper growth and metabolism. I give dandelion greens a few times a week!

 

[Chris Anderson]

Dandelion greens are generally considered to be excellent gutload for feeders and food sources for herbivorous herps. As for their oxalate content, they have <25mg/100g compared to the ~750mg/100g in spinach.

Chris

 

[pssh]

It was my understanding that count is still considered at least moderately high. Am I wrong about that?