Chameleon eating plants

[hzliedmond]

Hello anyone have a problem with their veild chameleon eating plants ? I can't keep buying plants ever 2 weeks lol is their something I could do about this ? I'm so tempted to put fake plants she keeps eating the money tree plant lol

 

[Sherbertsmysunshine]

I know veiled chameleons like to eat plants quite a bit. If she is eating plants that much where you need to buy new plants every two weeks, I don't think I would use fake plants, She could eat it and become sick. @Beman Do you have a trick to help with the plants?

 

[Steve A]

Hello anyone have a problem with their veild chameleon eating plants ? I can't keep buying plants ever 2 weeks lol is their something I could do about this ? I'm so tempted to put fake plants she keeps eating the money tree plant lol

I think your options are limited. Your veiled just loves them.

I'd say try to get bigger plants. IDK what size your enclosure is, but get bigger plants if you can, and try to persuade her to eat more bugs (maybe give her some new bugs or something?).

Or.... find another type of plant that is 100% safe for your chameleon, and see if they live that type of plant alone. Then you can supplement here or there with the plant they like to eat so they can continue doing that.

Do NOT put fake plants in there. Your chameleon will eat them, and will likely suffer from doing so.

 

[elizaann2]

Don’t put fake plants in. She could eat them and become impacted. I have 3 pothos that I rotate out of my veileds enclosure so she can’t eat it to a nubbin.

 

[Beman]

Veileds eat plants this is why you have to buy veiled test plants... However if she is stripping an entire plant in 2 weeks I would say more is going on here. What are you feeding her and how much/how often? How old is she?
You can not used fake plants with a veiled they then become high risk for pulling pieces off and suffering an impaction. This requires surgery to then fix and becomes a major life threatening risk for them.

 

[ChamelaChameleon]

I have no advice. Money Tree is a favorite Veiled Cham snack. Im on my 3rd tree for the year. Im hoping it will last until Christmas and yes I have started a Money Tree donation box.

 

[ChamelaChameleon]

FYI: Pothos is another Veiled favorite plant.

 

[hzliedmond]

Veileds eat plants this is why you have to buy veiled test plants... However if she is stripping an entire plant in 2 weeks I would say more is going on here. What are you feeding her and how much/how often? How old is she?
You can not used fake plants with a veiled they then become high risk for pulling pieces off and suffering an impaction. This requires surgery to then fix and becomes a major life threatening risk for them.

7 months she eats min 10 med crickets,wax worms and other treats through the day . Maybe not I'm 2 weeks but she loves her plants lol

 

[hzliedmond]

Don’t put fake plants in. She could eat them and become impacted. I have 3 pothos that I rotate out of my veileds enclosure so she can’t eat it to a nubbin.

I was kidding about the fake plants but damn thing is getting expensive

 

[elizaann2]

I have no advice. Money Tree is a favorite Veiled Cham snack. Im on my 3rd tree for the year. Im hoping it will last until Christmas and yes I have started a Money Tree donation box.View attachment 344563

Sounds about right

 

[elizaann2]

I was kidding about the fake plants but damn thing is getting expensive

I feel you. If I had to guess I’d say I’ve spent somewhere around $300-500 on plants just for my veiled. My best suggestion is get really into plants. Buy 2 or three of the same kind, use the double pot method and swap them out when the need rescuing. Propagate what you can too. Spider plants, pothos, prayer, wandering Jew and polka dot plants are easy to propagate so start with those. If you can get several starts going then you can eventually work it so you don’t have to keep replacing plants.

 

[Beman]

You want to go with a faster grower then... Avoid the more expensive ones like money trees that do not have much to them. Use pothos... Get yourself a nice big bushy one. Cut it down at the root ball into two. This way you have a back up for the current. You will rotate a pothos in and out... Just because she strips it down does not mean it is dead. Cut back the vines and use organic fertilizer on it. This will give it a boost to regrow. I cycle 5 pothos. Now that beman is older he does not actively eat them. But when he was young I was cycling them in and out.

 

[MissSkittles]

I have no advice. Money Tree is a favorite Veiled Cham snack. Im on my 3rd tree for the year. Im hoping it will last until Christmas and yes I have started a Money Tree donation box.View attachment 344563

Looks a bit like Stella’s hibiscus - except there’s just enough green left to tell it really was a plant with leaves once and you didn’t plant a stick.

 

[elizaann2]

Looks a bit like Stella’s hibiscus - except there’s just enough green left to tell it really was a plant with leaves once and you didn’t plant a stick.

My girl has gone through 4 hibiscus since this summer. I give up on giving her beautiful flowers

 

[Steve A]

My girl has gone through 4 hibiscus since this summer. I give up on giving her beautiful flowers

time to farm some indoor hibiscus

 

[elizaann2]

time to farm some indoor hibiscus

I have one that I am barely keeping alive. I think I also don’t know how to care for them very well

 

[Steve A]

I have one that I am barely keeping alive. I think I also don’t know how to care for them very well

I hear you there. Why do you think I stuck with pothos? I can't tell you how thankful I am that we have a plant that is so convenient that works for them lol I literally don't have to do anything with my pothos except hand mist a few of them 1 time a week sometimes twice, and pull off any dead/dying leaves.

Also very appreciative of the fact that Spike seems to have no desire to eat them at all

 

[elizaann2]

I hear you there. Why do you think I stuck with pothos? I can't tell you how thankful I am that we have a plant that is so convenient that works for them lol I literally don't have to do anything with my pothos except hand mist a few of them 1 time a week sometimes twice, and pull off any dead/dying leaves.

Also very appreciative of the fact that Spike seems to have no desire to eat them at all

Yes you are very lucky there! I keep trying flowering plants because I see all these beautiful flowering plants in other people's enclosures and I want to be cool like them too...guess its just not in the cards for me

 

[Steve A]

Yes you are very lucky there! I keep trying flowering plants because I see all these beautiful flowering plants in other people's enclosures and I want to be cool like them too...guess its just not in the cards for me

I may try some time. If I can figure out how to not kill them I'll let you know what I did not likely though

 

[elizaann2]

I may try some time. If I can figure out how to not kill them I'll let you know what I did not likely though

Lol I appreciate that! For now I may be done with them. I've got one thats doing 'ok' in my Jackson's enclosure....we will see though...