Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
Chameleon Physiology & Supplements
Why Different Vitamins and Supplements Matter
This is a general (and hopefully easy to understand) overview of why different vitamins and mineral supplements we give our chameleons matter and how they affect their physiology.
A very special thanks to Ferretinmyshoes for her additions and edits to this overview.
Intro Into Physiology and Homeostasis
My medical dictionaries define physiology as: The science which deals with the functions of living organisms and its parts, and of the physical and chemical factors and processes that affect it.
It deals extensively with homeostasis, which is the tendency towards a state of balance and stable equilibrium within the body system, maintained by physiological processes. Keeping the body in a state of stability and balance is the primary function of most processes in the body, because this is when the organism can function at its best.
How Do The Vitamins and Supplements Affect Homeostasis?
Each mineral and vitamin that I will talk about plays important roles in maintaining a balance within the animal’s body. Too much of one but too little of another will all disrupt this balance, so it is important to know what each one does and how to supplement them properly in our chameleons’ diets.
Link showing what a chameleon with MBD looks like: https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-mbd-looks-like-38000/
Why Different Vitamins and Supplements Matter
This is a general (and hopefully easy to understand) overview of why different vitamins and mineral supplements we give our chameleons matter and how they affect their physiology.
A very special thanks to Ferretinmyshoes for her additions and edits to this overview.
Intro Into Physiology and Homeostasis
My medical dictionaries define physiology as: The science which deals with the functions of living organisms and its parts, and of the physical and chemical factors and processes that affect it.
It deals extensively with homeostasis, which is the tendency towards a state of balance and stable equilibrium within the body system, maintained by physiological processes. Keeping the body in a state of stability and balance is the primary function of most processes in the body, because this is when the organism can function at its best.
How Do The Vitamins and Supplements Affect Homeostasis?
Each mineral and vitamin that I will talk about plays important roles in maintaining a balance within the animal’s body. Too much of one but too little of another will all disrupt this balance, so it is important to know what each one does and how to supplement them properly in our chameleons’ diets.
Calcium: Calcium is a mineral abundant within the body, and is vital for more than just healthy bones and teeth. Most physiological processes use calcium as a vital ingredient for the most basic actions; when an arm muscle contracts, for example, the individual muscle cells must reach their action potential before they can all contract and move the arm, and this is achieved by opening calcium channels within the cells and allowing for an influx of calcium to reach this action potential. So everything from blinking to making strong bones uses calcium.
When the body does not have sufficient calcium to run all these processes, it will steal calcium from the bones, where it is abundant, to keep muscles like the heart and nerve signals going. After enough time, this will lead to a condition in reptiles known as Metabolic Bone Disease, in which the bones have been so depleted of their calcium that the bones themselves are weak, brittle, and sometimes barely still there. This leads to breaks, malformations in the bones in animals that are still trying to grow, and failures in other body functions, such as firing the tongue or walking.
When the body does not have sufficient calcium to run all these processes, it will steal calcium from the bones, where it is abundant, to keep muscles like the heart and nerve signals going. After enough time, this will lead to a condition in reptiles known as Metabolic Bone Disease, in which the bones have been so depleted of their calcium that the bones themselves are weak, brittle, and sometimes barely still there. This leads to breaks, malformations in the bones in animals that are still trying to grow, and failures in other body functions, such as firing the tongue or walking.
Link showing what a chameleon with MBD looks like: https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-mbd-looks-like-38000/
Phosphorous: After calcium, phosphorous is the second most abundant mineral in the body. It is also highly abundant in bones, although very much present in cells. It is important in regulating the use of other vitamins and minerals in the body. The balance of calcium and phosphorous in the body is a delicate one, necessary for the proper density and strength of bones, for example. Too little of it is negative, and can lead to problems like fatigue and weak bones. However, it is more dangerous (and much less likely) for the body to have too much phosphorous than too little of it (which almost sounds counter intuitive, given that too little causes brittle bones. More on this in a second), and the intake of calcium must mirror the intake of phosphorous to maintain the two at a balanced level. Although the two minerals work together, they are also antagonistic, which means that too much phosphorous will actually interfere with calcium absorption.
Because the diets of captive chameleons contains higher levels of phosphorous relative to calcium (due to the composition of most commonly given food insects such as crickets, who contain a Phos:Cal ratio of 3:1, which means that they have about three times more phosphorous than calcium), this can lead to unbalanced levels of the two minerals, and the high levels of phosphorous actually interfere with calcium absorption. So even if you are giving a lot of calcium the body can’t utilize it due to excessive phosphorous. This must be corrected with calcium supplementation. This is why phosphorous-free calcium supplements are recommended for dusting insects. Too much phosphorous in the body can lead to kidney and heart failure, and actually reduce bone density as well. So since phosphorous is more abundant in insectivore diets in captivity, it is more important to worry about not having too much over having too little of it present.
Vitamin D3: Cholecalciferol, also nicknamed the “sunshine vitamin” is one that the body can synthesize in the skin when exposed to sunlight. It can also be consumed through diet, but in the case of reptiles, they count on basking to produce a significant amount of it. The purpose of vitamin D is to maintain normal, balanced blood levels of calcium and phosphorus in the body, and plays an important role in the absorption of calcium into the bones, helping them become stronger. It also plays an important part in maintaining immune system health.
There are risks associated with too much of this vitamin, which is why it is not recommended to supplement too heavily with this vitamin via diet. Too much of it will start affecting the nerves and muscles, and more severe toxicity will start to affect calcium levels; calcium will be too highly elevated in soft tissues, such as muscles and kidneys, and begin to actually calcify these tissues, while debilitating the bones.
Vitamin A: This vitamin is actually a compound, which functions in healthy eye function (by maintaining the eye lining), bone health, and cell division and differentiation, just to name a few. It is also important in maintaining the immune system. Often times, when eye issues are reported in chameleons, if it is not infection-related or due to injury, a couple doses of vitamin A will usually help correct the issue. Keepers that provide sources of vit A in their gut load, or supplement it, say they never or rarely report eye issues.
However, too much will also cause problems. Toxic levels of vitamin A will lead to liver problems, reduced bone density, and nervous system disorders. Vitamin A toxicity seems to be more related to high consumption of preformed vitamin A, over carotenoids like beta-carotene, frequently found in orange or dark green fruits and vegetables. Whether or not chameleons have the ability to utilize vitamin A precursors like carotenoids is still not well understood and further studies are needed.
Because the diets of captive chameleons contains higher levels of phosphorous relative to calcium (due to the composition of most commonly given food insects such as crickets, who contain a Phos:Cal ratio of 3:1, which means that they have about three times more phosphorous than calcium), this can lead to unbalanced levels of the two minerals, and the high levels of phosphorous actually interfere with calcium absorption. So even if you are giving a lot of calcium the body can’t utilize it due to excessive phosphorous. This must be corrected with calcium supplementation. This is why phosphorous-free calcium supplements are recommended for dusting insects. Too much phosphorous in the body can lead to kidney and heart failure, and actually reduce bone density as well. So since phosphorous is more abundant in insectivore diets in captivity, it is more important to worry about not having too much over having too little of it present.
Vitamin D3: Cholecalciferol, also nicknamed the “sunshine vitamin” is one that the body can synthesize in the skin when exposed to sunlight. It can also be consumed through diet, but in the case of reptiles, they count on basking to produce a significant amount of it. The purpose of vitamin D is to maintain normal, balanced blood levels of calcium and phosphorus in the body, and plays an important role in the absorption of calcium into the bones, helping them become stronger. It also plays an important part in maintaining immune system health.
There are risks associated with too much of this vitamin, which is why it is not recommended to supplement too heavily with this vitamin via diet. Too much of it will start affecting the nerves and muscles, and more severe toxicity will start to affect calcium levels; calcium will be too highly elevated in soft tissues, such as muscles and kidneys, and begin to actually calcify these tissues, while debilitating the bones.
Vitamin A: This vitamin is actually a compound, which functions in healthy eye function (by maintaining the eye lining), bone health, and cell division and differentiation, just to name a few. It is also important in maintaining the immune system. Often times, when eye issues are reported in chameleons, if it is not infection-related or due to injury, a couple doses of vitamin A will usually help correct the issue. Keepers that provide sources of vit A in their gut load, or supplement it, say they never or rarely report eye issues.
However, too much will also cause problems. Toxic levels of vitamin A will lead to liver problems, reduced bone density, and nervous system disorders. Vitamin A toxicity seems to be more related to high consumption of preformed vitamin A, over carotenoids like beta-carotene, frequently found in orange or dark green fruits and vegetables. Whether or not chameleons have the ability to utilize vitamin A precursors like carotenoids is still not well understood and further studies are needed.
