im so scared!

[Djscifee]

okay so right now i was watching my chameleon and i just saw her try to eat for the first time, but the bad news is i dont know what she was thinking and she shot her tounge into the dirt of her ficus and she snagged up a small tiny twig and ate it! isnt that bad?!? what do i do????????

please help..

 

[hallenhe]

A tiny twig might pass through her all right; does she seem to be in any discomfort? Putting river rocks over the top of the plant's soil will keep the chameleon away from the substrate in the future, while still letting water through for the plant.

 

[Fireball]

yes cover up the dirt but what ever you use make sure that is be enough that they cant swallow what ever you use

 

[Djscifee]

okay that will be the first thing i do once i get her in the new cage, i made a better cage so i can give my friend his back,
and i havent seen her try to eat and i saw her tounge start to come out and so i was excited but all of a sudden i saw it shoot and get a small twig so i freaked out...
i hope she is okay..
but she doesnt seem to be acting different..

 

[Djscifee]

!!! wow i think she likes the dirt because i put this pastic over it last night ad this morning she was looking down there and she shot her tounge and she got dirt and i couldnt belive it because i covered it so i looked on the spot where she shot and the plastic was like pulled away! i think she did it to get to the dirt! im gettig worried im picking up with material thats thicker to cover plant in 5 min from a friend.. wow....

 

[Vince]

Do you have perlite in the dirt? The white balls can attract a chameleon. This would not be good. Just a thought

 

[Djscifee]

Do you have perlite in the dirt? The white balls can attract a chameleon. This would not be good. Just a thought

no there isnt, she eats the little wood chips out of it....

 

[Djscifee]

yay!! i just stuck a wax worm down there and she ate it!!!!!!!!!!!!! hurray! ive finally saw her eat! damn her tounge is huge!!!!!

 

[Djscifee]

and another one!!!!!!!!! yay! im so happy !
i hope the stupid wood chips dont ruin it though.. is there anyway to flush them?

 

[Chameleon Company]

Why are we so paranoid about a chameleon eating dirt, which is a natural behavior ? How about just keep the dirt relatively clean, and avoid putting unnatural things there that could be accidentally ingested ? "Fix one problem, create two more" does not sound like a reasonable approach.

 

[Djscifee]

haha alright, im so happy she just ate a third wax worm!!!!!!! yay

 

[summoner12]

Eating dirt is fine if there aren't big junks that will get her backed up or there is perlite in the dirt. If it is strictly dirt, you'll be fine. Just make sure she isn't eating tooooo much and is well hydrated.

My veiled Jake went on a dirt eating frenzy. It was mostly because of the ants swarming the pot so he would hang down and shoot ants all afternoon while he was basking in the sun. After he ate all the ants he still would come down and sample some dirt every now and then.

 

[summoner12]

haha alright, im so happy she just ate a third wax worm!!!!!!! yay

wax worms are addicting.... try feeding her something else. You don't want her to be on a wax worm diet.

 

[Djscifee]

wax worms are addicting.... try feeding her something else. You don't want her to be on a wax worm diet.

yah i bought them since they are fatening and she looks skinny at times, and i got them cheap since petco had overstocked it was 100 for 1$!
i just asked tiki tiki reptiles about there dubia roaches and cricket crack they have, its going to be 40 shipped for the colony started and 4oz cricket crack! pretty good deal i think

 

[GooglezNvincent]

Why are we so paranoid about a chameleon eating dirt, which is a natural behavior ? How about just keep the dirt relatively clean, and avoid putting unnatural things there that could be accidentally ingested ? "Fix one problem, create two more" does not sound like a reasonable approach.

Alot of animal turn to eating dirt or soil to get needed minerals that they aren't getting from n e thing else

 

[summoner12]

Alot of animal turn to eating dirt or soil to get needed minerals that they aren't getting from n e thing else

I think Jim said that in the first sentence of his post.