Shiny trails at the bottom mesh part of my chameleon's cage

[Yoda Chameleon]

I have a female veiled chameleon and at the lower front part of her cage there is this trail of shiny stuff, it almost looks like a snail trail, but I don't have any snails in there. The bugs I have free-ranging are dubias, crickets, and superworms, do any of them make shiny trails?

 

[JacksJill]

Nope, but slugs hiding in your plant pots would.

 

[Yoda Chameleon]

If there were, would they be a problem?

 

[JacksJill]

It wouldn't be a good idea for him to eat them. You will likely find them hiding in the holes underneath your pots. Fortunately they will only be out at night.

 

[salty dog]

there was a guy---cham breeder in lincoln ca. tnat had permanant outside cages for parsons and seasonal for panthers and said at one time his chams in one side didn't eat their food for a month and totally healthy, bright orange mouth, active etc... he investigated and found they were eating slugs I wouldn't feed slugs personally, too high risk of parasites & bacteria...

 

[Yoda Chameleon]

Should I look for them and try to remove them?

 

[JacksJill]

I would they can damage your plants.

 

[Yoda Chameleon]

ok, I'll do that tonight.

 

[jamest0o0]

Could catch them with a beer trap?

 

[Yoda Chameleon]

What?

 

[NAUSEATE]

What?

slugs are attracted to beer. they will shimmy their way to the beer, and drown. you pour some beer in a saucer deep enough for them to drown. Slugs also hate copper. I buy copper tape and wrap the rim of my outdoor garden pots in it. It helps keep the slugs from eating my plants. I've read it acts as an electric fence and diverts them. diatomaceous earth also gets rid of insects, but not sure if it is chameleon safe.

 

[Yoda Chameleon]

Is the beer trap chameleon safe?

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

I would think you could just lift the pots and find them underneath

 

[MissSkittles]

Is the beer trap chameleon safe?

Would give them one heck of a leaf walk.

 

[Livingstons Lizards]

I experimented with diatomaceous earth a few years ago with some WC Wall Lizards I collected. They had mites & I've heard of it being used to treat mites for plants. I mixed some in the potting soil I put them on instead of paper towel. Within a month to a month and a half they mites were gone. The first group I treated I then later moved to a non diatomaceous substrate. The second group I left then on it. Same thing; month or so later, no mites but I kept them on it. They all died right around the 6th month mark. I repeated it a 3rd time to see if it was a fluke or a result of the diatomaceous earth and same thing happened. My theory is that they might if either ingested or inhaled the diatomaceous earth. And it caused internal damage. If you look at it under a microscope its very gagged and cuts apart the mites as they try to eat it. Never did a full autopsy to confirm tho.

 

[NAUSEATE]

I would think you could just lift the pots and find them underneath

I would pull the pot off and check inside the pot and around the root ball as well

I experimented with diatomaceous earth a few years ago with some WC Wall Lizards I collected. They had mites & I've heard of it being used to treat mites for plants. I mixed some in the potting soil I put them on instead of paper towel. Within a month to a month and a half they mites were gone. The first group I treated I then later moved to a non diatomaceous substrate. The second group I left then on it. Same thing; month or so later, no mites but I kept them on it. They all died right around the 6th month mark. I repeated it a 3rd time to see if it was a fluke or a result of the diatomaceous earth and same thing happened. My theory is that they might if either ingested or inhaled the diatomaceous earth. And it caused internal damage. If you look at it under a microscope its very gagged and cuts apart the mites as they try to eat it. Never did a full autopsy to confirm tho.

Mad interesting information. Thank you for sharing. Definitely NOT worth the risk to use it.

 

[Livingstons Lizards]

Yeah. Not sure if it would have as big of a an impact on an arboreal animal, but yeah, I'd stay away

 

[Ramrod]

I would probably be a sucker for a beer trap

 

[Yoda Chameleon]

I got the slug out! It was hiding under a pot, like you guys said it would. Hopefully it was just that one.

 

[Pickle-cham]

Good you found the little blighter as they can be an intermediate for parasites particularly rat lungworm