Plants for chameleons

[Vikaiyer]

I have a veiled chameleon who loves to eat plants. I have bought him a weeping fig, yucca plant, bamboo, orchids and a spider plant. Many people recommended to buy pothos plants but the other half said it’s poisonous if a cham eats it. I want to add that vinery for him. Is pothos a safe plant for veiled chameleons to digest??

 

[kinyonga]

I e had many veiled females strip the green and white pothos plants completely bare and the end lived to ripe old ages (like 7 years) in spite of it....so I'm positive that pothos plants are ok.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

This question always vexeth me. Could it be species/variety specific? ?‍

Reptiles Magazine mentions "pothos" (no specific species) as "great" and "safe" choices for panther chameleon enclosures, but panthers aren't generally known for nibbling on their plants.

In another article, they mention pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum) ( Golden Pothos ) as being a plant to consider (positive light) for reptile and amphibian vivaria.

Yet in still another, they include "pothos" (Eprimemnum aureum) ( Also called Golden Pothos) in a list of Toxic (to reptiles) plants!

To complicate matters further, most garden/greenhouse stores I've been to generally (some exceptions) label their pothos as just that—"Pothos" (no species).

IDK what species "green and white pothos" is or may be; they all look green & white to me!
and I don't find that as a common name for any pothos variety, BICBW or have missed something.

So I definitely get (and share) Vikaiyer's confusion. I have (what I've been told is) a Golden pothos in my enclosure, but that will house a panther chameleon—not a veiled—so I'm not as concerned as I would be if he were a veiled.

FWIW, I also have a Tradescantia zebrina as a climber, which—in addition to providing a climbing vine—also provides some color. For some green & white, I have some variegated English Ivy ( Hedera helix ) which is reputed to be chameleon safe.

 

[CBee7726]

This is a good resource:

https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/

 

[Benclark]

This website is a god sent. All of these plants I got at home depot for like $4 apiece.
https://www.reptileadvisor.com/plants-for-chameleons/

 

[Flick boy]

This question always vexeth me. Could it be species/variety specific? ?‍

Reptiles Magazine mentions "pothos" (no specific species) as "great" and "safe" choices for panther chameleon enclosures, but panthers aren't generally known for nibbling on their plants.

In another article, they mention pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum) ( Golden Pothos ) as being a plant to consider (positive light) for reptile and amphibian vivaria.

Yet in still another, they include "pothos" (Eprimemnum aureum) ( Also called Golden Pothos) in a list of Toxic (to reptiles) plants!

To complicate matters further, most garden/greenhouse stores I've been to generally (some exceptions) label their pothos as just that—"Pothos" (no species).

IDK what species "green and white pothos" is or may be; they all look green & white to me!
and I don't find that as a common name for any pothos variety, BICBW or have missed something.

So I definitely get (and share) Vikaiyer's confusion. I have (what I've been told is) a Golden pothos in my enclosure, but that will house a panther chameleon—not a veiled—so I'm not as concerned as I would be if he were a veiled.

FWIW, I also have a Tradescantia zebrina as a climber, which—in addition to providing a climbing vine—also provides some color. For some green & white, I have some variegated English Ivy ( Hedera helix ) which is reputed to be chameleon safe.

I'm not convinced by hedera helix. I have some in the garden only yesterday done a plant scan. Me personally if I have a small doubt I don't use it as there plenty of other options

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I'm not convinced by hedera helix. I have some in the garden only yesterday done a plant scan. Me personally if I have a small doubt I don't use it as there plenty of other options

That's not unreasonable. I feel the same way about Epipremnum aureum (Golden pothos). Sometimes it seems like for every article disparaging it, there are 5 people who'll swear by it and insist it's fine.

there plenty of other options

+1

 

[Flick boy]

Yeah it's just on a geko site. My panther doesn't eat her plants but it was just saying that they couldn't say if there could be an effect if feeders ate those plants and then eaten by the cham

 

[FranklinTheCham]

I used multiple pothos plants in my chameleons cage and they have grown so so big. He occasionally takes a bite out of the leaves as I see tiny triangles on them lolll. He's never shown any signs of illness and many articles I've read say they are safe!!

They also grow really fast which is great. Make sure to water them often, they are very thirsty plants when they grow big.