Trouble finding Chameleon Safe Plants

[Butterfly21386]

I am really struggling to find chameleon safe plants. I know I can buy them online but wanted to try to find them in store first. I found plants that look similar to the ones I found on Much Ado About Chameleons but I am not 100% sure they are. I found a Trinette Variegated Schefflera. The other one is a Waxleaf Ligustrum. Are either one of these safe. I did not see them listed on the safe list but not sure if they are know by another common name.

 

[MamatoElvis]

The schefflera is fine to use. I'm not sure about the ligustrum. I was not able to find it on a toxic plant list but I have not heard of anyone using one.

 

[Butterfly21386]

Thank you! I also found someone in my area that said that is the same plant they have in their enclosure.

 

[GrimCamel]

I mostly ask the people who works there, they often know and if not there usually is a little description ticket on the plant or on a sign in the store that would point out if the plant is poisonous

 

[Carlton]

IMHO, I think many of us over-think what a "cham-safe plant" could be. If you have a cham species that doesn't tend to chew on plants (such as jax and some other montane species) almost any bushy plant that doesn't produce a lot of sap and holds water droplets well could be used safely. If you have a veiled or melleri (who do tend to sample plants) the toxicity of the cage plants will matter more. There are plants that have toxic fruit, nuts, pits, bark, stems, roots, or only an eye-irritating sap (such as Ficus...and many of us have used Ficus trees safely for years) but whose leaves may cause no trouble in a cham setup.

The problem with many lists of "safe" plants is how they are evaluated. Many are only evaluated for their toxicity for mammals...humans, dogs or cats. Reptile sensitivities are a lot less understood.

 

[Carlton]

I mostly ask the people who works there, they often know and if not there usually is a little description ticket on the plant or on a sign in the store that would point out if the plant is poisonous

But, depending on HOW you ask the question the answer will vary. Most people only know which plants might be poisonous to a human, dog or cat. The same plant may not bother a reptile.

 

[GrimCamel]

But, depending on HOW you ask the question the answer will vary. Most people only know which plants might be poisonous to a human, dog or cat. The same plant may not bother a reptile.

That's very ture

 

[MamatoElvis]

Very true. Pothos, I think the most common in Cham enclosures is listed on many lists as toxic.