shannond81391
New Member
my panther chameleon has started to eat the dirt at the base of his ficus plant. like not accidentally hit something and eat it. shooting at the dirt, and licking up the dirt and eating it. im concerned. any suggestions
eating dirt?
- Thread starter shannond81391
- Start date
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
Have you re-potted your plant in safe soil that is fertilizer/perlite/pesticide free?
This is not uncommon behavior.
The way to deal with it is to either provide the animal with safe, sifted, organic soil or make the soil unavailable to him by covering it with some type of landscape fabric and/or large stones.
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/plants.html
-Brad
This is not uncommon behavior.
The way to deal with it is to either provide the animal with safe, sifted, organic soil or make the soil unavailable to him by covering it with some type of landscape fabric and/or large stones.
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/plants.html
-Brad
Justin Carl
Avid Member
Normal behavior.
What is your supplement scheduel like?
Could he be looking for minerals?
How are his eatting habbits?
What is your supplement scheduel like?
Could he be looking for minerals?
How are his eatting habbits?
shannond81391
New Member
supplememnt every 3 days with calcuium with d3
eats about 10-15 crickets aday
3-5 silkworms a day
and yea im giving him fresh potting soil almost everday because i dont want him to like "eat" himself into a ditch in the pot lol. but this wont cause impaction? and as long as it fertilizer free its okay? and im thinking abot putting the rocks there. should i do anything to the rocks before i put them in?
could it maybe be, that he hasnt eaten as much because i just moved him into a new cage. so he was just getting used to the cage? he'll most likley be eating the usualy 10-15 crickets a day. he only ate about 4 today.
eats about 10-15 crickets aday
3-5 silkworms a day
and yea im giving him fresh potting soil almost everday because i dont want him to like "eat" himself into a ditch in the pot lol. but this wont cause impaction? and as long as it fertilizer free its okay? and im thinking abot putting the rocks there. should i do anything to the rocks before i put them in?
could it maybe be, that he hasnt eaten as much because i just moved him into a new cage. so he was just getting used to the cage? he'll most likley be eating the usualy 10-15 crickets a day. he only ate about 4 today.
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
Don't worry just yet
Chameleons will eat a number of inorganic things. Soil, bark, etc. It's normal, and many think it helps their digestion.
They can also be territorial and are easily upset by changes in their environment, so moving to a new cage might cause a dip in appetite. I know mine didn't like it much when I switched them to their bigger cages. It took them almost a week to get back on their normal feeding schedule.
Try offering different types of bugs to make sure it's not just food boredom. Chameleons are notorious for refusing one food over another periodically (mine will alternately refuse dubias, crickets, and mealworms when they get tired of them).
Chameleons will eat a number of inorganic things. Soil, bark, etc. It's normal, and many think it helps their digestion.
They can also be territorial and are easily upset by changes in their environment, so moving to a new cage might cause a dip in appetite. I know mine didn't like it much when I switched them to their bigger cages. It took them almost a week to get back on their normal feeding schedule.
Try offering different types of bugs to make sure it's not just food boredom. Chameleons are notorious for refusing one food over another periodically (mine will alternately refuse dubias, crickets, and mealworms when they get tired of them).
Elizadolots
New Member
Hi, Zippy. Just an FYI, this thread is 4 years old.
