Eating plants

[WelshOneEmma]

Should I worry that my male veiled is not eating as many crickets or locusts lately, but is always munching on his plants?

 

[Miss Lily]

I think some veiled eat more veg stuff than others. Hugo obviously likes his! Have you offered greens or fruit and veg too - might help the plants last a bit longer! Lily wasn't bothered with her plants really - I only ever saw her take a bite once!

 

[Lancecham]

That is completely normal and it is good as long as the plant is safe. What kind of plant do you have?

 

[WelshOneEmma]

That is completely normal and it is good as long as the plant is safe. What kind of plant do you have?

We have just changed the viv around a bit, so he currently has two large ficus', a small ficus, two dracaena's, a passionflower and a largish hibiscus. He seems to be taking lots of chunks out of the hibiscus leaves! He gets 6-10 large crickets / locusts every other day, but if they go quickly I sometimes put more in. I think he's going through another growth spurt.

 

[Miss Lily]

I think Hibiscus is a particular favourite for plant eaters! I've seen it mentioned on here before that their cham stripped the plant of all flowers and leaves! Can't remember who it was though.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

I think Hibiscus is a particular favourite for plant eaters! I've seen it mentioned on here before that their cham stripped the plant of all flowers and leaves! Can't remember who it was though.

I suddenly had a panic as it's new in there, he went straight for it (loves sitting on it too) but its not really leafy, but he just sits in it and chomps on the leaves. He's also started walking to the ends of the branches, which then cant hold his weight, and they bow down to his vines, he walks onto the vine, and then back onto the hibiscus and climbs to the end again. It's like a chameleon fairground ride! Glad he likes it, it cost £20!

 

[Miss Lily]

Bet you won't be too pleased when that 20 quid plant is reduced to a stalk?! Sounds like its providing him with plenty to do though ! You should get a video of Hugo on his fairgound ride! Hehe! I got a Hibiscus last summer from a local garden centre, it's about 8 inches tall and cost £5.99. I didn't put it in Lily's cage as it had plant lice on it and wasn't sure if they were safe for her to eat. They've gone now - it died down over the winter and it killed them off, so I might see if Amy would like it when it bushes out a bit!

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Bet you won't be too pleased when that 20 quid plant is reduced to a stalk?! Sounds like its providing him with plenty to do though ! You should get a video of Hugo on his fairgound ride! Hehe! I got a Hibiscus last summer from a local garden centre, it's about 8 inches tall and cost £5.99. I didn't put it in Lily's cage as it had plant lice on it and wasn't sure if they were safe for her to eat. They've gone now - it died down over the winter and it killed them off, so I might see if Amy would like it when it bushes out a bit!

I will be a little annoyed if he does reduce it to wood. We have just pretty much replaced everything in his cage as all the wood we were using rotted (pretty annoyed about that, but c'est la vie) so we just filled the cage with plants (most of which cost £20, small ficus and the dracaena's cost £7 each) and new vines. He seems to be loving it though. But we are definately waiting a while before we get another one, as bf is currently a bum (made redundant) so i suppose we should spend what money we have on bills and not new chams

 

[SaZzY]

Bet you won't be too pleased when that 20 quid plant is reduced to a stalk?!

My chameleon reduces massive ficuses to stalks in months. I buy mine from my friends garden centre and she doesnt appreciate how George destroys her lovely plants with no regard haha