Eating dirt???

[Ashleigh]

I just started keeping real plants in my panther's new cage and after he was in there for a bit, he went to one of the plants and took a big mouthful of dirt and ate it!!! I put some big rocks in there to try and discourage this...Why would he do that??? (Thank goodness I repotted with organic soil and throughly washed the plants)

 

[Adam Harrelson]

maybe hes not eating enough

 

[Ashleigh]

maybe hes not eating enough

He's maybe getting bored with his food...I'm getting some pheonix worms in and more crickets sometime next week, so hopefully that fixes it! I bought some wax worms in the meantime to mix it up for him a little lol

 

[ibdragons]

Put rocks ,not lil ones to keep him from eating it ,i beleive one of my chams got sick from eating dirt .what I do also cuz I haven't found the right size rocks is that I put a clean white small towel and put it over the soil and tuck it between the soil and the inside of the pot .don't let him eat dirt.

 

[Olimpia]

Dollar stores everywhere usually sell large river rocks. So for like $3 you can cover your soil in large, smooth stones and prevent it from happening.

Some think that eating soil may mean the chameleon is missing something from their diet as far as minerals. Perhaps added variety in his diet will solve any for of nutritional issue he may or may not have, plus a double-check of his supplement schedule to see that everything is as it should be.

 

[Ashleigh]

Put rocks ,not lil ones to keep him from eating it ,i beleive one of my chams got sick from eating dirt .what I do also cuz I haven't found the right size rocks is that I put a clean white small towel and put it over the soil and tuck it between the soil and the inside of the pot .don't let him eat dirt.

Yea I was worried about impaction I will block the dirt more throughly tomorrow as soon as he wakes up

 

[Ashleigh]

Dollar stores everywhere usually sell large river rocks. So for like $3 you can cover your soil in large, smooth stones and prevent it from happening.

Some think that eating soil may mean the chameleon is missing something from their diet as far as minerals. Perhaps added variety in his diet will solve any for of nutritional issue he may or may not have, plus a double-check of his supplement schedule to see that everything is as it should be.

I have some variety foods coming in next week, and while I'm waiting I bought some wax worms to give him some variety since that's all the pet store carries. I will definitely put some more rocks in to cover the dirt...I use calcium plus at every feeding from repashy to supplement. Maybe he was bored from getting crickets and supers everyday while I was waiting on the pheonix worms...

 

[Elizadolots]

I have mixed feelings on this...I mean, it's dirt....eating dirt can't be good can it? But it does seem that dirt is very nutritious and even some human cultures eat dirt at times. I have to ask myself if, by preventing them from eating dirt we are preventing them from getting a nutritional element that their bodies are telling them they need.

 

[Olimpia]

To be honest I don't cover my dirt at all. I make sure it's natural soil with no fertilizers or perlite or anything else non-dirt, but I leave it at that. I feel like animals have evolved with and around dirt and other organic debris since the dawn of time, I think they know how to handle themselves with it. It is loose, particulate matter after all. A well hydrated animal shouldn't, IN THEORY have problems with a little of it. My dog has certainly swallowed mouthfuls of it throughout her life and she's still here to tell the tale. The puppy that eats the socks, on the other hand... certainly poses a problem! And we trust females with a bin full of sand or soil in the cage full-time, but then cover the plant pots. It's never made too much sense to me.

It certainly may hold something, since a variety of animals will eat dirt or clay to get something they are missing as far as minerals. Mine don't eat it that I know of, but they do get a lot of feeder variety and I gutload well, so that may be a reason. We have to remember that not all animals are built the same way, so while one supplement may work really well for 100 chameleons, for 1 with a slightly different system it may not be enough/adequate and they feel the need to supplement themselves however they can. That's why the diet of chameleons seems to be such an art lol There's so much to consider and put together in a way that works for each animal you own.

 

[Elizadolots]

In human cultures (even now) there are cases where women eat dirt during pregnancy and post pregnancy...it's thought to be a craving for iron that is not readily available in the normal diet. But we don't even know what it really is for humans...we have no clue what it might be for chameleons. That's why I question the automatic "cover the soil!!! don't let him eat dirt!!!" advice...I think keeping edible dirt (not full of fertilizer or wood chips) is probably the safest way to go. But honestly, I don't know. However, parenthood (be the child human, dog, cat or chameleon) is never a certain thing, you just have to decide what you think makes sense for you and do it.

So...if covering the dirt makes sense to you, then do it.

 

[Ashleigh]

Thanks so much for the replies! I'm just a worried first time cham mommy and the last thing I want is for him to get impacted! The dirt is very fine organic and he's eating this morning, doesn't look sick or anything. When he did eat it, it was only one mouthful and he left it alone, so maybe it's not so bad if he's missing some kind of mineral....

 

[arnau666]

well mine did this quite often the 1st days i got him ! sometimes 1-2 days per month he still gets some dirt ! i used river rocks but he still finds way to get some ! the soil is fine ! supliments fine ! food fine ! i guess they just want it sometimes ! i read in a book that it helps them to digest properly and to get some nutrients