Clay- The Chameleon's WonderFood?

[Eggimations]

I've had my male veiled for about 3 months now. I made him a custom cage with all the bulbs specs and plants he needs to be happy. There were some holes between the tile floor, and the walls, which water could get into. I decided to fix this by putting some natural non-toxic sculpting clay into the cracks. (The white stuff) I would have put something else in, but he was arriving really soon and I didn't have time. About a month later, clay starts showing up in his droppings. I have a major panic attack, look all over the web and worry my head off. There was nothing on it, and he seemed happy so I let it be. He's eaten almost all of it now, and seems to be happier and healthier for it. My personal theory is that it helps their bodies to get rid of toxins, like it does in other animals. Could I be correct, or is my chameleon just a little crazy?

 

[Psychobunny]

I know some wild animals eat clay as protection from poisonus plants, bugs and such that they live on, but that's only in the wild.
I dont think a captive pet cham is going to encounter much of anything toxic unless it's outside a lot.
You must be talking about a young veiled cham, because they will eat all kinds of junk.
I would worry that the clay could cause a serious constipation and/or impaction problem.

 

[DirtyDubbz]

Agree , try taking the clay up and using a silicone caulk

 

[Muddyfeet]

yeh if you where going to add some clay.. It would have to be FOOD grade type... there "could" be of benefit perhaps - not recommended..

However non toxic means non toxic to humans, and being not a food grade clay.. there could be all sorts of contaminants in it.. Onions and garlic are good for us, yet give to much to a dog.. TOXIC.. Tylenol.. safe for us, a tiny amount can kill a cat.. non toxic to a specific species does not always mean others!!
Even if they do eat clay.. clay varies biased on location.. that "clay" may not have the same micronutrients and such that the clay they may get in the wild would.. so may not kill the chameleon.. but puts the animal at higher risk for problems and may not offer the benefits of doing the same in the wild..

Lots of comments about Chameleons eating soil.. so it is established that they will eat such things.. the question of why and does it serve a purpose? but as there are concerns about toxicity, and impaction and many healthy long lived chameleons "deprived" of this thrive in captivity.. so worth the risk??? not sure..


My Vield as a baby used to LOVE to co to the bottom of his cage and rip and tear strips of paper towel up and eat that too.. it all passed.. and he was super happy healthy.. but.. I don't think it was because it was good for him or a good idea....


I do think that animals do have some sort of instinct for natural cures.. however.. they also eat things that may look like some similar food item etc etc.. to ill effect..

 

[Lathis]

"Non-Toxic" is a seriously misleading term. All it really means is that there are no known toxicity issues... Or not enough to establish a pattern. There is not a standard test that supports a label of "Non-Toxic" that can actually determine all the potential modes of toxicity. Ditto for "GRAS" - "Generally Recognized as Safe", "All Natural", "Organic", etc... Completely unregulated labels.

A little off topic, but something everyone should know.

 

[Muddyfeet]

not off topic at all.. Dose make the poison.. too..

and there is GRAS or "non toxic to humans" does not always apply to other animals..

 

[Lathis]

not off topic at all.. Dose make the poison.. too..

and there is GRAS or "non toxic to humans" does not always apply to other animals..

Exactly Is clay toxic? No. If you eat enough of it can it kill you? Absolutely.

It's a little scary when you start to realize how little safety information is actually known about the food we eat, the products we use, and the chemicals we are exposed to. I sound like a crazy mountain man writing a manifesto against the "modern industrial machine" on my old-timey typewriter in my cabin in the woods...

Now, I do agree with the posters above that there is precedent in nature (and human behavior) for geophagia - sometimes to supplement nutritional deficiencies, sometimes to address parasite issues. The question here is multi-fold:

• Do chameleons as part of their natural behavior ingest earth?
• If so, do we understand that particulars of why and to what effect?
• Is this a useful aspect of husbandry for captive chameleons?

I don't know that our understand of chameleons both in the wild and in captivity is quite at the point where we can answer these questions definitely. Hence, I would be hesitant to introduce clay or other earth-based supplements to my chameleon's diet at this point.

I would actually really love for someone far more versed in chameleon diet, behavior, and pathology to contribute... Chris Anderson? Sandrachameleon? Dr. O? Ferritinmyshoes? Anyone else? Your thoughts?

 

[werecat]

To the original poster, how would you qualify the statements that your chameleon is "happier and healthier" for having eaten the clay? I don't think you can base these statements (especially the "healthier" one) on a single experience with one chameleon during a 3-4 month period. This is merely a hypothesis at this stage which would require further testing on multiple animals (which I am not condoning). Your post comes off as though you are recommending that we start providing clay to our chams. But what evidence do you have that indicates it is healthier?

True, some animals will consume clay in the wild, but as stated by others the conditions of captivity prevent chams from coming into contact with toxins in the first place. Also, as stated by others, there is a question about the potential toxicity of ingredients in the clay. However, my greatest concern would be the danger of impaction. Just because your chameleon has not had a problem yet does not mean that it won't if it continues to eat clay. It is very likely that you've just gotten lucky so far. You have only had the chameleon for several months. There is no telling what long term problems could be caused by this if it continues.

 

[fluxlizard]

True, some animals will consume clay in the wild,

Where are you guys getting this information from? I've never seen this.

 

[werecat]

Flux, the only animal that I know of off hand that consumes clay are the macaw parrots in the Amazon basin. They will congregate in great numbers on the banks of exposed riverbeds to consume the clay. It is thought that this is done to neutralize the toxins of some of the foods they eat, but I'm not sure if this has been proven. As for other animals, I'm not sure, but I guess I figured it's quite possible.

 

[fluxlizard]

Flux, the only animal that I know of off hand that consumes clay are the macaw parrots in the Amazon basin. They will congregate in great numbers on the banks of exposed riverbeds to consume the clay. It is thought that this is done to neutralize the toxins of some of the foods they eat, but I'm not sure if this has been proven. As for other animals, I'm not sure, but I guess I figured it's quite possible.

Oh, OK- I've seen video of the parrots too. I thought you and another poster were specifically talking about chameleons being known to do this in the wild. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Lathis]

Deer will eat dirt too, for the salt content. I imagine there are a lot of animals that do it periodically for various reasons, but yes, off the top of my head, I was thinking of parrots specifically.

 

[Eggimations]

To the original poster, how would you qualify the statements that your chameleon is "happier and healthier" for having eaten the clay? Your post comes off as though you are recommending that we start providing clay to our chams. But what evidence do you have that indicates it is healthier?

Well, he's had more vibrant colours, been much happier while being handled, and hasn't turned black a single time, though there have been plenty of times when he might have. And sorry if I'm coming off that way, I am in no way saying everyone should give their chameleons clay. I don't even know if other people's chameleons would eat it, I'm just putting forward a theory that it might be beneficial to their health. Constipation won't be a problem unless he is really hot and dehydrated. The clay I am using is food grade, pure white river clay and nothing else. by non-toxic, I just mean it wasn't toxic. The actual label is food grade, sorry about that. Anyway, I just thought I'd bring the community's awareness to this, as I've never heard of chameleons eating clay before.

 

[Lathis]

Well, he's had more vibrant colours, been much happier while being handled, and hasn't turned black a single time, though there have been plenty of times when he might have. And sorry if I'm coming off that way, I am in no way saying everyone should give their chameleons clay. I don't even know if other people's chameleons would eat it, I'm just putting forward a theory that it might be beneficial to their health. Constipation won't be a problem unless he is really hot and dehydrated. The clay I am using is food grade, pure white river clay and nothing else. by non-toxic, I just mean it wasn't toxic. The actual label is food grade, sorry about that. Anyway, I just thought I'd bring the community's awareness to this, as I've never heard of chameleons eating clay before.

It's all about information and discussion

I think these types of conversations are good because a) they get the community thinking and talking which hopefully will b) improve long-term husbandry for chameleons.

This is one of those topics where it's just so hard to judge. The potential cons are many, and the potential pros currently lack the type of solid background information to help us (chameleon keepers) make an informed decision. In the end, so long as everything we do is done with care, wisdom, and the best interest for the animal, I think that's the best we can hope for.

 

[Eggimations]

Yeah. At this point all I can offer is that after about 2 months, eating clay hasn't killed him, and he's seemed to be healthier and happier.