Plants Question for Free Rangers

[Syn]

Does your chameleon eat more plants when free ranging?

Just out of curiosity. This pertains to species more likely to meet plants (Veileds).. or even if you've noticed an oddity in your pardalis starting a new habit of munching..

When I can free range my veiled he does get sprayed a little less often (not by much, though) and every now and then I do notice some bits of plants missing.
It could easily make sense he is making up for lack of water, but.. who knows?

Note: After realizing he may not be getting enough water I have since upped the number of times I spray per day.

Just thought I'd ask. Trial and error, right?

 

[Olimpia]

I don't notice that mine eat more plants... in fact, I may venture to say that Charlotte eats far fewer leaves since she's been free ranging. I think maybe it's because she's less bored? She has more to do/see than just eat out of boredum (like so many of us do lol)? Jut a theory, anyway.

 

[Syn]

Interesting. Perhaps D is more bored out of his cage than in!

 

[jojackson]

My male yemen tends to bite at leaves more outside, I just figured it was because they blow about in the wind, look interesting maybe *shrugs*
Rarely touches them inside.

 

[Syn]

That's also possible - they don't move more when he's free ranging unless I have the shower going - I wonder if it's possible the increase in movement makes it look more appetizing to them.

 

[jojackson]

Gotta be more natural anyway, maybe small green moving leaves look a bit like Katydids/hoppers etc?

 

[Syn]

Sure! Om non nom

 

[summoner12]

Bored huh? I highly doubt they are 'bored' in the same sense that you and I would be bored if sitting in a room with nothing but a plant........

All my chams seem to eat leaves... or chew on them. At first Ididn't notice too much... but then was checking poop and am finding leaves. Right now as I speak Chris is chilling at the bottom of a ficus doing some leave eating... I don't think hes bored, maybe hungry?

 

[Syn]

Well no of course not the same sense, they are chameleons after all.

Perhaps hungry, his feeding schedule didn't change, I may even be feeding him more now.. however now that I think about it the more they move around, perhaps the more they need to eat. It makes sense.

 

[sdheli420]

you know, now that i think about it i did notice my cham loves greens for some reason and goes for a "salad" if i put some in his tree (this is a first for me that a panther will eat green leaves) ive had plenty of veileds eat greens but also this is a free ranged chameleon from 2-1\2 -3 months old...

 

[Syn]

you know, now that i think about it i did notice my cham loves greens for some reason and goes for a "salad" if i put some in his tree (this is a first for me that a panther will eat green leaves) ive had plenty of veileds eat greens but also this is a free ranged chameleon from 2-1\2 -3 months old...

Not sure if there is a too young age for free ranging.. is there?

What sort of plants do you have?

 

[Panthermartin]

I have had my 2 month old panther in a freerange since the first day I had him and I think this is week 3, and he eats out of my hand now and lets me pick him up.He also walks to the top of his tree every morning when I wake him, waiting for me to fill his dripper.I feel like because there is no cage seperating him from me and the fact that everytime he sees me something good happens for him like eating a cricket or geting misted makes him see me as a good thing.From what I expierenced as long as there is a safe enviorment and you dedicate the time to your cham, free ranging is the way to go only benifiets so far

 

[Olimpia]

Well, not to turn this thread into one about pro-free ranging, but I don't think there's an age minimum to start. Size is obviously something to keep in mind in case they manage to get off or escape, you have to be able to find them. But if the area is safe (like you've made a free range in a bathtub or something likewise unescapable, then you know where your little one is and there's no problem. If the area is not so safe, then I say wait until they're bigger and easier to find. The youngest one I started free ranging was I think about 3 months old, and no problems here. It's definitely not for everyone, but if you can figure out how to do it then I don't have any objections with starting young.

 

[DeviousMike]

I free range occasionally since at this time, I don't have an escape proof area. I supervise my chams when I put them on the free range but I sometimes will leave them be and let them stay on the whole day and even into the next day. My male ambilobe does cruise down the trunk of the ficus but it does not seem as if he has any inclination to get off the tree.

 

[Syn]

I'm confused, hehe. Are we still talking about chameleons eating the plants?