plants

[Karina]

My cham loves to eat pothos leaves, he has nearly eaten one plant so I went to get him a new one but they didn't have any. I got him an umbrella tree, I think the correct name is schefflera variegata, is this safe for him to eat? And also, what plants are the most nutritious?

 

[ChameleonsTree]

My cham loves to eat pothos leaves, he has nearly eaten one plant so I went to get him a new one but they didn't have any. I got him an umbrella tree, I think the correct name is schefflera variegata, is this safe for him to eat? And also, what plants are the most nutritious?

click on the plant list in the upper left hand corner of the home page...explains everything about each plant...some have caution signs cause they could be toxic if eaten.

 

[lowendfrequency]

If your chameleon eats plants, do NOT use schefflera.

Toxic: Saponins, Falcarinol, Calcium oxalate, Oxalic acid
Clinical Signs: Dermatitis, Vomiting, Leukopenia, Loss of coordination, Irritation of mouth, lips, and tongue

 

[Brad]

I know Schefflera is toxic, actinophylla more so than arboricola. From talking with other chameleon keepers and doing minimal research I was under the impression that Schefflera arboricola is usually safe unless a chameleon is eating very large amounts of the plant. Is this not correct?

 

[Karina]

I know Schefflera is toxic, actinophylla more so than arboricola. From talking with other chameleon keepers and doing minimal research I was under the impression that Schefflera arboricola is usually safe unless a chameleon is eating very large amounts of the plant. Is this not correct?

I spent a few hours last night researching this and have found a lot of conflicting information. Most of the stuff I found claimed that most species of schleffera was safe and the Schefflera actinophylla was toxic and should not be used. How can I be sure that the plant is not the actinophylla variety? All it said on the label was Schefflera variegata. To be honest my cham will only eat plant matter say once a week, so he is not consuming huge quantites, most articles I found claimed that this would do him no harm. However. I do not want to put him in any danger

 

[lilj0e]

why not temporarily use a hibiscus?? till u get your other plant??

 

[Eric Adrignola]

varigated sheffelera is arbicola - if it's green and yellow, it's safe. Actinophylla only comes in green. It's got big, thin green leaves, whereas arbicola has thick, short leaves.

Just about any plant is toxic at some level. Arbicola is safe, as the quantities needed to cause a problem are very large. Pothos is toxic, but most veileds will eat them with seemingly no problems, and solomon island skinks depend on the wild variety as a staple.

If the chameleon is eating a lot of plants, get a hibiscus. Non-toxic, and the flowers are a favorite food of them.