Are small ROCKS part of a complete chameleon diet?

[jsmoke7]

I have a young female veiled chameleon and she eats regularly. I have recently noticed that there are a few rocks lying around at the bottom of her cage that come from the bamboo plant in her enclosure. Even more disturbing is when i actually saw her shoot for the rocks and try to swallow one and she seems to do this deliberately. I have a bearded dragon that ingests rocks too. I noticed it in his poop. Today my chameleon passed a small stone in her poop. Is this something that reptiles do in their natural environment, kinda like birds? I have covered her rock pile.

 

[Marc10edora]

If I was you, I would get rid of the rocks and replace it with top soil. My veiled eats soil from time to time. People say that they are looking for needed minerals when they do that. I let him eat the soil. But I have to make sure it is very clean and that there are no big peices in there that could make him choke. I would be concerned of a choking hazard with the rocks.

 

[Canopy Chameleons]

It's not even the choking hazard I would worry about, it's the impaction hazard. Remove the rocks, being as it's a Veiled, it will probably try to eat almost every substrate you put in there with them. No substrate works the best.

 

[Heika]

It is also possible that she is shooting at gnats and picking up rocks too. I have a panther that will shoot at them..

 

[jsmoke7]

I don't see any gnats or small flies but she did go down by the base of the bamboo container again this morning. I think i need to get her some better mineral suppliments. Thats the first thing on my list today. Do rocks help digestion by the way? Possibly help grind down the insect shells?