Because spinach is good, too!
- Thread starter KeepNupwithJoneseys
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Fynch
KeepNupwithJoneseys
Member
Jpeff
Chameleon Enthusiast
Think ur tight. Shouldn't feed him greens anyways
KeepNupwithJoneseys
Member
Hmmm.. the breeder said I could mix dark leafy greens in with the crickets. If that’s not the case, I’ll definitely stop.
Jpeff
Chameleon Enthusiast
I'd stick to just bugs. Save the greens for the bugs. In wild the eat plants. In captivity they don't need it.
https://chameleonacademy.com/basics-feeding-chameleons/
https://chameleonacademy.com/basics-feeding-chameleons/
KeepNupwithJoneseys
Member
KeepNupwithJoneseys
Member
So really should not be giving anything other than live insects.... And spinach is a hard no in anything. It binds to calcium making the calcium unavailable for absorption.
There is a divide between people that think giving veg or fruit is ok and those that think it simply should not be done. These are not iguanas they are chameleons. They should be fed only insects since they are insectivores. Unfortunately Veileds are looked at as eating plants so people think it is ok to feed them veg. We use only Veiled tested live plants in their enclosures and nothing fake due to their plant eating. But it is not something that most of us agree with offering another veg option as food. Fruit should never be given due to the sugars but again some do it because "their cham likes it" which does not mean it is healthy. A Veiled will eat fake plants just as readily again not safe at all but they will eat whatever they want. Like a toddler everything goes in their mouth.
Veileds are very opportunistic eaters. So being cautious is important. You do not want to feed something that could cause health issues.
There is a divide between people that think giving veg or fruit is ok and those that think it simply should not be done. These are not iguanas they are chameleons. They should be fed only insects since they are insectivores. Unfortunately Veileds are looked at as eating plants so people think it is ok to feed them veg. We use only Veiled tested live plants in their enclosures and nothing fake due to their plant eating. But it is not something that most of us agree with offering another veg option as food. Fruit should never be given due to the sugars but again some do it because "their cham likes it" which does not mean it is healthy. A Veiled will eat fake plants just as readily again not safe at all but they will eat whatever they want. Like a toddler everything goes in their mouth.
Veileds are very opportunistic eaters. So being cautious is important. You do not want to feed something that could cause health issues.
KeepNupwithJoneseys
Member
Absolutely, @Beman i agree. I honestly only put the greens in there for the crickets to munch on and so he could see them on it. That piece in the picture was actually stuck to his chin and I thought it was silly. He didn’t actually eat it because I took it off his chin. But I also didn’t think it would be bad if he had gotten a piece of it along with a cricket. I won’t be putting the greens in with the crickets anymore though. I appreciate the guidance as I’m still a bit new to Cham owning.
Spinach is not the only think with high isolate levels. Pothos is also high in oxalates ...and yet chameleons can consume every leaf and stem on the plant with no apparent bad effect....IMHO, it depends on whether the oxalates are bound or unbound as Dr. Wheelock explains it here...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/pothos.974/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/pothos.974/
The take-home is that the calcium to oxalate ratio is more important than the high levels of oxalate....so if the chameleon is getting enough calcium to balance the oxalates and then some to be absorbed, the oxalates shouldn't matter from what I understand. This is not to say go crazy with the spinach...everything in moderation IMHO.
Morpheo's Mom
Avid Member
Very interesting thread, thanks for bringing it back into light!
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
If you are feeding him crickets, it is actually a good idea to put a small piece of something in the bottom of your enclosure for any uneaten crickets to eat so they won’t bite and try to eat your little cutie.
I feed my bugs the same greens that I give my beardies…dandelion, mustard, turnip, collards, watercress, escarole and arugula. I believe these are lower in calcium oxalates.
I feed my bugs the same greens that I give my beardies…dandelion, mustard, turnip, collards, watercress, escarole and arugula. I believe these are lower in calcium oxalates.
