My Chameleons is eating Vermiculite.

[StretchNcham]

Hey guys I have a female veiled chameleon and I put a pot of vermiculite in her cage so she can lay her eggs. . . today she sat in it eating the vermiculite so I took it out. . . I would like to know if anyone knows if it is harmful to her or not. If so what else could I use that wouldnt be harmful to her if injested??

 

[ChameleonsTree]

Yes it is harmful...use playsand for them to lay eggs in.

 

[Vibrant Chameleons]

I use a playsand/peat moss mixture with great results. Vermiculite is used to incubate the eggs after you dig them up out of the sand/soil.
Make sure you give her at least 12 inches of substrate to dig into.

 

[Dyesub Dave]

Hey .... just wondering. If vermiculite isn't good for chameleons to eat isn't there a chance of babies that are being hatched in vermiculte swallowing some? Or do they have no interest when first born or their mouths are perhaps too small??

Dyesub Dave.

 

[kinyonga]

I've never had a hatchling eat the vermiculite...they are interested in digging out of the "hole" (container) and not interested in eating at the time of hatching. They are often covered in vermiculite after they hatch though...they are somewhat sticky due to the liquid in the egg.

 

[StretchNcham]

Thanks guys. Where would I find play sand lol. .. . Home Depot? A kids store or something lol dont know?

 

[Dyesub Dave]

I would think Home Depot would have it. Perhaps Wal-Mart as well. I just got mine from the local hardware store ... it was very reasonably priced ... under $5 for a 40 lb bag I believe.

Dyesub Dave.

 

[Goodman91]

I use the washed playsand and all organic top soil