Chameleon enjoys the taste of dirt? Try this....

[TRohr]

Not sure if anyone on the forum has tried this so I figured I would share....

Didn't want my cham. eating the coco coir in my planter pot, and I didn't want to use too many rocks to cover the stuff.

I ended up covering the area around my plants with screen from Lowes, and then put a few small rocks on top to hold it down. With a little work and adjusting it weighs very little, drains well, makes cleaning easier, and there's no way the cham. can get to the soil.

 

[jannb]

Use LARGE river rocks. They can eat the rocks too. One of my daughter's female panther ate one of the rocks in the plant and she keep thinking it was an egg she didn't lay. She waited too long to take her to the vet. The necropsy found one of the shinny green rocks from the plant.

 

[Todnedo]

I'm starting to think there is a reason chams eat dirt.
I let my parsons free range outside in a small maple tree, many times I have seen them at the base of the tree eating dirt. I have the pots covered in their cages so when they have the chance they eat dirt.

I am going to offer them a pan of dirt in their cages so they can eat dirt when they want.

 

[TRohr]

Use LARGE river rocks. They can eat the rocks too. One of my daughter's female panther ate one of the rocks in the plant and she keep thinking it was an egg she didn't lay. She waited too long to take her to the vet. The necropsy found one of the shinny green rocks from the plant.

Aaaaah, that's morbid.... The rocks I am using are far too big for any cham. to eat, I'm sure. With the screen I don't have to use nearly as many rocks so my planter weighs quite a bit less.

The screen was rinsed with soapy, hot water before I tossed it in.

http://img231.imageshack.us/i/img0040mx.jpg/

http://img41.imageshack.us/i/img0041dx.jpg/

 

[JaxyGirl]

I'm starting to think there is a reason chams eat dirt.
I let my parsons free range outside in a small maple tree, many times I have seen them at the base of the tree eating dirt. I have the pots covered in their cages so when they have the chance they eat dirt.

I am going to offer them a pan of dirt in their cages so they can eat dirt when they want.

I wonder if they eat dirt for the same reasons that pigeons, doves, chickens eat dirt because it aids in digestion????

 

[TRohr]

I wonder if they eat dirt for the same reasons that pigeons, doves, chickens eat dirt because it aids in digestion????

Sounds like you could be on to something~

 

[jannb]

That rock is plenty big!

I use screen in some of my plants and you know what those little buggers do? They stick those little tongues right at the edge to get a bite or where I cut it to fit around the base of the plant. I ended up putting a towel in the one on my bar.....they couldn't get through that.

 

[jannb]

I wonder if they eat dirt for the same reasons that pigeons, doves, chickens eat dirt because it aids in digestion????

To much dirt can cause impaction so it probably wouldn't take that much for a baby.

 

[JaxyGirl]

Sounds like you could be on to something~

Scientists/creationists say that the closest link to birds on the evolutionary scale is the lizard. Just look at the similarities between lizards and birds...just a thought?

 

[TRohr]

.... I ended up putting a towel in the one on my bar.....they couldn't get through that.

Great idea! I have some really old cotton shirts I could use.

 

[Todnedo]

Great idea! I have some really old cotton shirts I could use.

that sound like a breeding ground for bacteria

 

[JaxyGirl]

Scientists/creationists say that the closest link to birds on the evolutionary scale is the lizard. Just look at the similarities between lizards and birds...just a thought?

Here's a link regarding lizards, birds and dinosaurs..kinda interesting re the similarities between all
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/avians.html

 

[jannb]

that sound like a breeding ground for bacteria

I never got the towel wet. It was just in a plant on my bar were the babies played while I worked in the kitchen. I could see it being a problem in a cage with misting going on.

 

[JaxyGirl]

To much dirt can cause impaction so it probably wouldn't take that much for a baby.

I'm not talking about throwing a baby into a pan of dirt...I'm just curious if there is a reason for lizards eating dirt or small rocks. If it aid in digestion which would be similar to the reason why birds eat small rocks which help break down food in their gizzards???

 

[jannb]

I'm not talking about throwing a baby into a pan of dirt...I'm just curious if there is a reason for lizards eating dirt or small rocks. If it aid in digestion which would be similar to the reason why birds eat small rocks which help break down food in their gizzards???

Natalie I'll ask my vet about it and get his opinion. Does your Jackson try to eat dirt all the time too?

 

[Todnedo]

I think to urge to eat dirt without a suitable source of dirt is the reason some chams get impacted with sticks and rocks.

 

[JaxyGirl]

Natalie I'll ask my vet about it and get his opinion. Does your Jackson try to eat dirt all the time too?

LOL!!! No I've never seen him attempt to eat dirt But, from what I've read on here it seems eating dirt and substrate is a common thing for even well fed chams. I was just curious if there was a biological reason for it? I'm mean dirt can't taste very good so why are they eating it. I wonder if wild panthers, lets just say, in Madagascar also eat dirt and by doing so they derive a certain mineral or something that they need. And since we can't provide that specific mineral found in Madagascar dirt, captive panthers are eating American dirt and getting impacted. IDK just me having thoughts on the subject????

 

[JaxyGirl]

I think to urge to eat dirt without a suitable source of dirt is the reason some chams get impacted with sticks and rocks.

Exactly! That's what I was trying to say by writing a book...LOL! But, ya I think that sums it up

 

[Todnedo]

LOL!!! No I've never seen him attempt to eat dirt But, from what I've read on here it seems eating dirt and substrate is a common thing for even well fed chams. I was just curious if there was a biological reason for it? I'm mean dirt can't taste very good so why are they eating it. I wonder if wild panthers, lets just say, in Madagascar also eat dirt and by doing so they derive a certain mineral or something that they need. And since we can't provide that specific mineral found in Madagascar dirt, captive panthers are eating American dirt and getting impacted. IDK just me having thoughts on the subject????

I don't think being well fed has anything to do with eating dirt, chams can recognize feeders. That's why if you feed them the same kind of feeder they loose interest.

 

[JaxyGirl]

I don't think being well fed has anything to do with eating dirt, chams can recognize feeders. That's why if you feed them the same kind of feeder they loose interest.

I meant that some owners that have chams, that aren't even hungry because they are well fed, have been caught trying to eat dirt or substrate. A cham wouldn't start eating dirt cause it was bored with it's food choices or would it?