dandelion

[sandrachameleon]

Anyone grown dandelion inside their chameleon enclosure? Or use as part of your gutload?

I perdiodically use dandelion leaves as part of my cricket gut-load, especially in Winter when Im not growing much in the garden. It is high in b vitamins, iron, vitamin K, vit D and are loaded with Vitamin A (Beta Carotene).
http://www.elook.org/nutrition/vegetables/2410.html

Dandelions are essentially weeds that seem to thrive in wet conditions, tolerate drought very well, grow in the shade and in the sun.

Any thoughts on how much dandelion is too much for gutload?
and
would you or would you not recommend as an enclosure plant?

 

[dodolah]

Anyone grown dandelion inside their chameleon enclosure? Or use as part of your gutload?

I perdiodically use dandelion leaves as part of my cricket gut-load, especially in Winter when Im not growing much in the garden. It is high in b vitamins, iron, vitamin K, vit D and are loaded with Vitamin A (Beta Carotene).
http://www.elook.org/nutrition/vegetables/2410.html

Dandelions are essentially weeds that seem to thrive in wet conditions, tolerate drought very well, grow in the shade and in the sun.

Any thoughts on how much dandelion is too much for gutload?
and
would you or would you not recommend as an enclosure plant?

I don't see any reason not to do it.
Dandelion is one of the best and healthiest veggie you can provide for your chameleon.
Heck, it is even good for salad.

With that said, yes I do use dandelion to gutload my cricket.
Sometimes I gutload myself with dandelion
They sell it in the albertson near my house.

 

[TylerStewart]

Dandelion is what I use more than anything else to raise my baby tortoises. I bet I go through 2 bundles of it a day (about 1lb each). It is the closest thing nutrition wise to the ideal food for baby tortoises. I also get it at Albertsons.

 

[ToniandGizmo]

Is this the plant you are all speaking of?

It's everywhere around my neighborhood. Just thinking that if this is the same plant, I could go and pick some for my crickets. The place where I'm thinking of doing this is not kept up, it has not seen fertilizer or pesticides for a long time (if ever). Am I on the right track?

 

[George Yamen]

yummy

yes i have picked them also, and just fed them 2 my mvchem he likes em

 

[ToniandGizmo]

yes i have picked them also, and just fed them 2 my mvchem he likes em

Okay I just picked some. I must have looked rather suspicious walking back with a baggie full of green leaves .

I can see it now... "No officer this is for my crickets".

 

[sandrachameleon]

Yes ToniandGizmo, that's the one. Its a weed. the leaves are yummy, especially the young spring leaves (as noted by dodolah, nice in salad) but a bit bitter this time of year (cooked is better).

I wouldnt use the stems of the flowers, as the milky sap seems unpleasant / irritating. I dont know about the flower itself - anyone know?

Is Albertsons a store? I mean do people really PAY for dandelion!? I could make a fortune!? LOL

Okay, so the consensus is that I could use this OFTEN as part of my gutload and in fact could let the weed grow in enclosures too, as its probably okay for a cham to injest directly.

thanks for the input

 

[dodolah]

Yes ToniandGizmo, that's the one. Its a weed. the leaves are yummy, especially the young spring leaves (as noted by dodolah, nice in salad) but a bit bitter this time of year (cooked is better).

I wouldnt use the stems of the flowers, as the milky sap seems unpleasant / irritating. I dont know about the flower itself - anyone know?

Is Albertsons a store? I mean do people really PAY for dandelion!? I could make a fortune!? LOL

Okay, so the consensus is that I could use this OFTEN as part of my gutload and in fact could let the weed grow in enclosures too, as its probably okay for a cham to injest directly.

thanks for the input

The flower is edible as well.
Albertson is a big grocery store in US.
They do sell dandelion
You could try to feed it directly to your cham if you got one of those cham who love to munch on veggies.

So far, mine have never show any interest in eating leafy matter.

 

[nicolie85]

My green iguana loves dandelion as a treat with his/her other greens. Anything I feed to my iguana, I simply toss in my cricket container and they munch away. Iguanas have a very healthy diet filled with lots of calcium and other vitamins. It is very convenient not to have to but separate food to gut load my crickets.

 

[TylerStewart]

I wouldnt use the stems of the flowers, as the milky sap seems unpleasant / irritating. I dont know about the flower itself - anyone know?

Is Albertsons a store? I mean do people really PAY for dandelion!? I could make a fortune!? LOL

Okay, so the consensus is that I could use this OFTEN as part of my gutload and in fact could let the weed grow in enclosures too, as its probably okay for a cham to injest directly.

thanks for the input

I would feel free to use it as much as you wanted, either through the crickets or directly to the chams. Flowers are safe also. I never noticed the sap in the stems of the flower, but I don't use the flowers much unless I see one in the yard here. When you buy them, mine are typically long 12-16" leaves, usually about 1 pound per bundle, and it's about $1.79 for a bundle (a maybe 3" diameter pile), so it's pretty good bang for your buck. You'd have to pick ALOT of plants to equal $1.79 or a pound worth. I've never tried to eat them besides a small taste, but they sure do dissapear off the store shelves here, so someone is eating them!

Another suggestion: Cactus pads for your crickets. They're also very good nutritional-wise, and I use them heavily for the tortoises also. I just sent some to Chris Carter, and he apparently was impressed (so he says).

 

[AncientCritters]

Ive been raising tortoises for over 10 years and never saw any dandelion in the grocery stores. All the Albertsons here are now Safeways. I pick them everyday and had a bunch growing on the side of the house. It would be alot easier if I could just go to the store to buy them. Big or small all tortoises eat a ton. I give lots of mulberry cause I have more of that. I usually save the dandelion for the babies and juvies. To get back on topic of this thread, they are a great source of food.