I Hates This! When Your Cham knows Better than You!

[Antoinetteandco]

So about two weeks ago I went hunting for tree branches for Sage's enclosure. I couldnt find birch branches so I raided the parks clipping lpie. (Do you see my mistake already?) I dried it out. Stripped the bark to be visually pleasing and to search for bugs. Then I boiled water and mixed it with salt to rinse the branch and set it in the sun to dry. As I broke it into pieces to fit into her enclosure I noticed the center is full of white foam. Like an idiot I placed it in her cage then googled it. She was furious! Immediately hissed at it and changed to war paint. Turns out it's an elderberry branch and the inside is toxic to all living things. And it's definitely not on the chameleon safe list! Sage knew that before I did. ?? Needless to say I immediately tossed it and clean. Some days I feel plain stupid.
I have included a picture of the inside of the elderberry branch so no one makes the same mistake as me!
And a link to the list of chameleon safe plants!

 

[The Wild One]

Lol I always check everything I once made my dad sit in a nursery for 15 minutes while I was making sure the plant was safe. ?

 

[Beman]

It happens... we all make mistakes while we are learning. I bought over $150 in fake vines only to watch them fall apart on me and then learned that the type I got were really bad if the cham rubs his eyes on them. So yeah. Then I bought willow branches from the craft store... Had a weavel bug bur its way out of one. Had wood dust everywhere in the cage... Takes me to round three with my cage where I went to the beach and collected tons of drift wood.

It is a learning process.. The key is to keep learning. Make adjustments and learn from others mistakes

 

[Antoinetteandco]

It happens... we all make mistakes while we are learning. I bought over $150 in fake vines only to watch them fall apart on me and then learned that the type I got were really bad if the cham rubs his eyes on them. So yeah. Then I bought willow branches from the craft store... Had a weavel bug bur its way out of one. Had wood dust everywhere in the cage... Takes me to round three with my cage where I went to the beach and collected tons of drift wood.

It is a learning process.. The key is to keep learning. Make adjustments and learn from others mistakes

No way! Weavel bugs ? awe man you must of been freaking out . I was so mad I couldnt find birch branches so I wasn't even thinking haha . No kidding about the mistakes it's always the worse when starting with a new animal and a new enclosure. Took me 3months for my indoor rabbits enclosure!

 

[Antoinetteandco]

Lol I always check everything I once made my dad sit in a nursery for 15 minutes while I was making sure the plant was safe. ?

See I did it with the plants but with branches I was so done after not being able to find birch I grabbed whatever ?. My boyfriendsboyfriends like okay sweetie I'm going to stay in bed while you boil salt water to wash tree branches . Normal day in paradise !

 

[Beman]

No way! Weavel bugs ? awe man you must of been freaking out . I was so mad I couldnt find birch branches so I wasn't even thinking haha . No kidding about the mistakes it's always the worse when starting with a new animal and a new enclosure. Took me 3months for my indoor rabbits enclosure!

Yeah it was fun... I am not one for unidentified creatures sticking their head in and out of a hole in a branch that was not there the day before. I ripped that branch out then freaked that I would have more in the other branches. Maybe an over reaction on my part.. Ok yes it was an over reaction on my part. But we learn. I always seem to learn the hard way however lol.

 

[Antoinetteandco]

Yeah it was fun... I am not one for unidentified creatures sticking their head in and out of a hole in a branch that was not there the day before. I ripped that branch out then freaked that I would have more in the other branches. Maybe an over reaction on my part.. Ok yes it was an over reaction on my part. But we learn. I always seem to learn the hard way however lol.

? seems perfectly normal to me !!!

 

[Beman]

? seems perfectly normal to me !!!

Yep totally normal was me beating the branch against the concrete trying to get the bug to come out of the hole. Then when that did not work sawing the branch in two and beating those pieces... It was an interesting day all around.

 

[Antoinetteandco]

Yep totally normal was me beating the branch against the concrete trying to get the bug to come out of the hole. Then when that did not work sawing the branch in two and beating those pieces... It was an interesting day all around.

That's alot of work I would of tossed then! ?thats rough it reminds me of the arcade game spider stomp that use to be at all the bowling alley

 

[Beman]

That's alot of work I would of tossed then! ?thats rough it reminds me of the arcade game spider stomp that use to be at all the bowling alley

Yeah Beman has taught me so much

 

[Antoinetteandco]

Yeah Beman has taught me so much

Same with Sage and all my pets to be honest!

 

[JacksJill]

The learning curve can be steep and there is always more to learn. Got to love it!

 

[Antoinetteandco]

The learning curve can be steep and there is always more to learn. Got to love it!

Lucky Sage let's me know when I mess up ?. Glad I caught it though before something happened . There s a saying that certain reptiles are more forgiving with their care. For example ball pythons and beardies are considered the hardyest . With Igunas being the most unforgiving, it your husbandry is bad from the start it's already too late with them. Chams are more towards Igunas I feel like.

 

[jamest0o0]

@Beman they just murdered my living mulberry tree outside. Idk if it died and they moved in while it was still green or what, but they really pumped out the sawdust everywhere.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Yeah it was fun... I am not one for unidentified creatures sticking their head in and out of a hole in a branch that was not there the day before. I ripped that branch out then freaked that I would have more in the other branches....

Dare I rest my case about sterilizing branches from outside?

[Rhetorical] What's still puzzling me is how elderberry bark can be confused with birch bark...

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Then I bought willow branches from the craft store... Had a weavel bug bur its way out of one.

Only one? At least you weren't faced with the dilemma of choosing the lesser of two weevils.

 

[Beman]

Dare I rest my case about sterilizing branches from outside?

[Rhetorical] What's still puzzling me is how elderberry bark can be confused with birch bark...

Yeah this was not from outside... LOL this was from the craft store. Willow branches... For use in your house So the last thing I expected was bugs to burrow out of them.

 

[Beman]

Only one? At least you weren't faced with the dilemma of choosing the lesser of two weevils.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Yeah this was not from outside... LOL this was from the craft store. Willow branches... For use in your house So the last thing I expected was bugs to burrow out of them.

That'll learn ya! They came from outside at some point. Never heard of greenhouse-cultivated willow branches ...but there's a lot I haven't heard of.

 

[jamest0o0]

Dare I rest my case about sterilizing branches from outside?

[Rhetorical] What's still puzzling me is how elderberry bark can be confused with birch bark...

They're harmless and pretty rare. Ive seen them once or twice in several years and you just change out the branch, it's really not a problem worthy of obsessive sterilization. Another thing about sterilizing, you wipe out the regular bacteria and allow whatever to pop up. Go boil a piece of wood and stick it in high humidity and then add one that is collected from the woods. My bet is the boiled will grow mold quite fast.