Question about plant consumption.

[Nicole1982]

So I just added a few new plants to my young female veiled's enclosure. All from the safe list. She's been munching them like crazy, cosmos and petunia in particular. Is this something to worry about? Is it beneficial? Is there such thing as too much plants in her diet?

 

[Chameleonmaster]

As long as all the plants were on the safe list you shouldn't have to worry. If she's eating a lot of the plants get a plant that grows like crazy, like a pothos

 

[juice28]

i read on here that pothos in large quantities was toxic..as well as the mini umbrella.. cheferella(spelling) is that true? my veiled female loves to take a bite out the mini umbrella every now and then and the hibiscus..hasent flowered but she keeps eating the buds before they do anyways..heard hibiscus is good source of vitamin C for them and i read that jade and star jasmine is edible too..i have a camellia, hibiscus, small umbrella..a star jasmine that smelled great until i put it in the cage and she instantly ate all the flowers off of it...i figure if the hibiscus flowers and the jade and the camellia flower.. my room will smell like a flower garden and be pretty fresh instead of smelling slightly like the cricket and roach storage bin but shes not going for that lol

 

[AngieL]

Hi! My female veiled killed her ficus plant in a matter of months because she was chomping it all the time she stopped doing it when I started to offer leafy greens regularly. Things like rocket and romaine and occasionally a bit of curly kale are good for her. They like to drink a lot too so make sure she's getting enough water too. The only thing I notice when they're eating a lot of greenery is you might get softer stool and urates but that's normal if they're eating a lot of fruit veg or greens. It helps keep my girl 'regular' lol!

 

[Nicole1982]

This plant consumption is fairly new for my female Cham. I've had her for almost three months now. The first 2 months she didn't touch any of the live plants. I added some petunias a few weeks ago and she immediately starting chowing lol...needless to say those didn't last long. Now she munches on any live plant I put in there lol...I've tried offering her leafy greens and whatnot..no interest what-so-ever! Maybe I will try some fruits next. Any suggestions?

 

[Klink]

I've noticed that all the veileds that I've had usually ate their plants. I'ts a natural way for them to hydrate themselves in the wild.

 

[GabeCastro]

From what i've heard veileds won't eat leaves if they're fed good. You can offer them fruits and veggies to stop them from munching on their plants. Just leave a dish filled with mustard greens or something.

Here's a list of what they can/can't eat:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-fruits-veggies-should-i-not-feed-my-veiled-81585/

It always cracks me up hearing about someones veiled chomping away

 

[Nicole1982]

From what i've heard veileds won't eat leaves if they're fed good. You can offer them fruits and veggies to stop them from munching on their plants. Just leave a dish filled with mustard greens or something.

Here's a list of what they can/can't eat:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-fruits-veggies-should-i-not-feed-my-veiled-81585/

It always cracks me up hearing about someones veiled chomping away

Thanks for the link. I'll keep trying different greens and add some fruits/veggies and see if she's interested. As for they eat the plants if their not fed well..I don't think that's the case for my Cham at least. She eats like a pig! Picky eater though..I can only get her to eat crickets, locust, supers, and the occasional moth. She won't touch any sort of roach or worms other than supers lol...but shes got quite the appetite. 15 or so bugs per day...give or take. She's about 4 to 5 months old.

 

[AngieL]

Veiled chameleons come from Yemen where there is lots of fruit and edible plants growing. They normally have fruit and veg as part of their diet and I don't really agree that they only want it if thery are not well fed veiled a ate just greedy, especially females!

My girl likes blue/strawb/raspberries, apple, sweet potatoe and her fave greens are rocket. I give them a few times a week in small doses.

All chams are different though and some may just prefer live plants but you don't know until you try I'm happy my girls not killing the plants now. Plus I get to hand feed more things than one or two bugs a day which is always nice!