New question on sand eating

BocaJan

BocaJan

New Member
I have tubs with sand or sand and dirt in my 3 female cages. Well, this am I found poop with sand in it in one of the enclosures. Should I stress? They have to be there because my ladies are all gravid, but what is going to happen if she keeps eating sand?
 
I would get rid of the sand all together you shouldn't need a substrate for a chameleon. You will need to provide a smaller box in the cage with some soil that she can lay her eggs in but I would take that box out as soon as she lays the eggs.
 
sand probably isnt good, but soil isnt bad. my chams occasionally eat some of the plant soil and my last ones did as well. some people theorize that it helps them with digestion or they are lacking some nutrients, but i wouldnt worry to much as long as its soil from a plant and its organic; just as long as they arent doing it habitually.
 
The sand is not substrate. I have a laying bin in each of the cages with a mixture of sand and soil as specified by breeders on the list. Has anyone else had their chams eat the sand? I know sometimes they munch on soil which is why I have river rock on top of all the plant soil.
 
I have used sand for over 15 years and have never had a chameleon become impacted from eating it...and believe me, some of my veiled females have eaten quite a bit of it. I use a certain type though...its produced by Kings and comes in a white bag with red, yellow and blue sand toys on the front of it. The reason I know that they have never been impacted by it is...they poop it out and I have had autopsies done on most of the chameleons that I have lost over the years (unless they were very old). I'm not saying that some "sands" can't cause a problem....but that I have had no trouble with playsand.

As for soils and other types of sands that were not meant to be used in sandboxes...some of them have caused infections in the temporal gland area and irritated the eyes.
 
Thanks Kinyonga. I removed the sand laying bin from her enclosure. She is only 1 1/2 weeks gravid so I think I want her to poop out all the sand. I am misting her more often because I have this thought that maybe she is searching for moisture. She is normally a thirsty wench.

My reason for concern is that she wasn't eating hardly anything and I don't want her to fill up on sand and not eat her crickets and super. So, I hope more misting will correct the problem. I will be sure to put her bucket back in in maybe 1 1/2 weeks.
 
If this is her first egglaying it may not be the normal amount of time from the date of the mating to the day that she lays. It depends where she was in her cycle when she was mated.

I would think its nutrients she's looking for, not moisture by eating the sand.

BTW...when veiled females are getting close to egglaying time, they usually drink a lot more than normal.
 
i have a large colony of crested geckos i keep for my step daughter i have tupperware containers with 50%vermiculite 50% sand i find alot of turds that look like they are made completely of this mixture ?????????
 
I would be concerned about the vermiculite. Vermiculite is supposed to be used for the incubation container not the egglaying container IMHO.
 
Thanks guys, I will be very careful in watching her until her poops are clean and she is eating better. This is her first clutch so I know that anything goes. I am keeping dates handy.
 
Thanks Brad. I did take it out and she actually ate her breakfast this morning. I will check her poop before I put it back in. I am really concerned that she is filling up on sand instead of her crickets.
 
Pics of sand poop

This is the 3rd day that her poops were mostly sand. This, after removing the bucket from her enclosure. No wonder her belly was so full!

I caught her in her plant (yes, there are river rocks covering the dirt) and she managed to find a little piece of moss or stick and shot her tongue between the rocks. It was too big for her mouth so she let it go, but I can't be sure she didn't get a little bit off it.

Do you think she is missing some vitamin or mineral? Should I up her supplement schedule?

1 x/mo - vitamins
2 x/mo - calcium w/D3
every other day except Sunday calcium w/o D3
Sunday - no supplements
 
Last edited:
BocaJan said:
This is the 3rd day that her poops were mostly sand. This, after removing the bucket from her enclosure. No wonder her belly was so full!

I caught her in her plant (yes, there are river rocks covering the dirt) and she managed to find a little piece of moss or stick and shot her tongue between the rocks. It was too big for her mouth so she let it go, but I can't be sure she didn't get a little bit off it.

Do you think she is missing some vitamin or mineral? Should I up her supplement schedule?

1 x/mo - vitamins
2 x/mo - calcium w/D3
every other day except Sunday calcium w/o D3
Sunday - no supplements
Click to expand...

if you weren t gut loading would you still use a multi just once a month
 
LOL - are you asking for the poops? I will send them to you free of charge and even pay the postage....LOL

Cham keepers are crazy, huh?
 
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