Are there any veggies I should avoid as a gutload

[Chamero]

I usually gutload with the usual apple, banana, orange, lettuce, carrot, tomato but today wanted to vary it up a bit. I added a piece of cucumber and some radish stems. Is this ok?

 

[Nicodemayo]

I'd eliminate the tomato completely. Im surprised you havnt seen problems yet but tomatoes contain toxins that are lethal to chams. Besides that, i just use peas, carrots, and various greens and some normal dry cricket feed and that should sufficient.

 

[VerteX]

Tomato is a big NO-NO. Cucumber and radish should be OK, but other members should chime in on that. Veggies and fruits that you should NEVER EVER use tomato, avocado, spinach, broccoli, iceberg lettuce that I can remember...

Maybe we should have a static page in Chameleon Forums titled: "What and what not to gutload with?" just like we have for Plants and Feeders. (Brad, hint hint )

 

[Electric]

what is it that makes the tomatoes so bad? anyone have any article links that further explain this? just curious cause I don't remember ever hearing/reading about this... not that I feed my insects tomatoes or anything(), actually it's a good thing I read this before ever making that mistake I guess...

 

[RhettusMaximus]

tomatoes

I may be wrong, but i thought it was the tomatoe plant that was toxic and not the actual fruit itself... does anyone know what the real deal is?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

The real deal is that tomatoes are bad.
The plant, the fruit ... all of it!
The fruit is very high in oxcylates (so is spinach) which adversely effects the proper absorption of Calcium.

-Brad

edit: google oxcylates and Calcium absorption

 

[RhettusMaximus]

thanks

Thanks Brad!

 

[VerteX]

what is it that makes the tomatoes so bad? anyone have any article links that further explain this? just curious cause I don't remember ever hearing/reading about this... not that I feed my insects tomatoes or anything(), actually it's a good thing I read this before ever making that mistake I guess...

High oxalate content is the reason to avoid tomatoes just like broccoli and spinach. Oxalate inhibits absorption of calcium by forming Calcium Oxalate.

Here's a pointer: Oxalate content of tomatoes

 

[Electric]

ah ok thanks, yeah I'd read about the spinach and broccoli, just never the tomatoes, so does that put them in the 'questionable' list of veg for human consumption also?

 

[AFH]

Interestingly, it wasn't until pretty recent human history that people in Western culture starting eating tomatoes. It's part of a family of known toxic plants (including nightshade and tobacco) and were avoided pretty much through the middle ages up to about 1600.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

ah ok thanks, yeah I'd read about the spinach and broccoli, just never the tomatoes, so does that put them in the 'questionable' list of veg for human consumption also?

Nope ... all of those are REALLY good for us!
Tomatoes help prevent colon cancer!

-Brad

 

[Scotty]

Interestingly, it wasn't until pretty recent human history that people in Western culture starting eating tomatoes. It's part of a family of known toxic plants (including nightshade and tobacco) and were avoided pretty much through the middle ages up to about 1600.

I've been smoking tomatoes for years, although you need a blowtorch to light them...LOL There not that bad,,,cough,cough

But seriously they are very good for you!

Cheers
Scott.

 

[Kevin1873]

What about grapes? I haven't tried this but the thought came up since you were talking about different foods. I doubt they would provide any nutritional value but then again I eat em' cause they taste good. hehe.

 

[reyesjoshuacruz]

if you use carrots make sure your dust does have beta carotine. Some dusts' contain beta carotine already, and when you use a dust with it and crix with carrots in the gutload it causes problems, what problems im not sure, i remember reading an article about a slow painful death due to too much beta carotine

 

[kinyonga]

You cannot overdose beta carotene...the system only uses what is needed.

 

[dodolah]

if you use carrots make sure your dust does have beta carotine. Some dusts' contain beta carotine already, and when you use a dust with it and crix with carrots in the gutload it causes problems, what problems im not sure, i remember reading an article about a slow painful death due to too much beta carotine

no, you won't overdose on beta carotene. the excess will be dumped from your cham's body. Preformed vit A is the one that cannot be dump.

 

[reyesjoshuacruz]

got it

thanks for clearing that up

 

[tryme]

this is interesting...does all this apply for gutloading when giving the crickets to other lizards such as leopard geckos etc?

 

[tryme]

also what about sweatcorn is that ok?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Corn is fine.

-Brad