Vegetables to feed to chameleon?

[pocketheart]

Hey there, what kind of veggies can you feed to a chameleon (not gutloading insects) and what should you avoid? I googled and read that you can't feed them iceburg lettuce. Is that correct? And also, can you feed veiled chameleons yellow, or any coloured peppers?

 

[kinyonga]

Not many/all chameleons eat veggies, etc. but you can feed veileds greens (dandelions, collards, kale, endive, escarole, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, sweet red peppers, zucchini, etc.) and a small amount of fruit (pears, apple, melon, berries, etc.)

They can also eat non-toxic flowers and plant leaves.

 

[Jonas]

I have said this before, and say it again; Dont waste any time searching for greens for your veiled. Their ability to eat greens is not the same as, say, bearded dragons. In nature its a way to get some more water Im sure, but they are still heavily dependent on the nutrition from insects.

 

[cushcameleon]

Feeding fruits and veggies to your chameleon directly, is not a necessity. Some chameleons will avidly eat these foods, however others are not so interested (i.e. all my chameleons). Instead I would focus on using veggies as a gutload for feeders. A properly gutloaded feeder will surely pass on the beneficial nutrition found in veggies/fruits.

 

[moody232002]

I have said this before, and say it again; Dont waste any time searching for greens for your veiled.

i must say i agree,although some people have success with veges i find Mista looks at them and completley ignores everything i've tried

 

[jake01]

my veiled seems to like most leafy greens. he will eat 100% of the greens I put in his feeding cup, especially in the evening for some reason. He seems to avoid fruit though, I put some diced apple in and he tried it only once then picked off the greens.

 

[kinyonga]

Mine have even turned down crickets to eat the fruit, veggies and greens given to them...and they are not hydrated.

 

[moody232002]

out of interest jake01 and Kinyonga, how do you prepare your fruits and veg.maybe it would be worth trying. I used to shred the greens and thinly slice the fruit.

 

[kinyonga]

I take any thick heavy stems out of the greens and either impale them on a branch or chop them up and put them in the dish with the rest of the "salad". For carrots, sweet potatoes, squash...I sliver the pieces or dice them into a size that would fit in the chameleon's mouth easily. I cut zucchini and peppers into strips. I put the whole "salad" into the lid (like the one from a peanut butter jar, for instance) on the floor of the cage.

 

[moody232002]

worth another go ,thanks kinyonga

 

[crystal9534]

just fed my veiled some collard greens today to see if he would even accept them. i wiggled it around and he went after it, so cut up some more and he ate that too. just gave him some red pepper and butternut squash and he liked that too. our first cham that eats veggies lol

 

[Rango Pascal]

i may sound dumb becuz im new to owning a veiled chameleon and im only 13 but in ran out of crickets so my cham Rango and only gave him the rest (2) he is still hungry he usually eats 4




sorry for my spelling just wanted to do it fast

 

[sandrachameleon]

hopefully you can buy more bugs ASAP, rango Pascal

 

[HueTheChameleon]

Chameleon eating tons of jade cactus

Hello,

I wanted to put a live plant with my chameleon and everyone was recommending pothos, but I met with a botanist with a phd and was told pothos is toxic. He recommended the jade cactus because it holds lots of water which is what chameleons are usually looking for when they are eating plants.

Anyone have any other information,

Hue Hefner, Chameleon Esq

 

[Laserbeak]

I keep my chameleon cage stocked with flowering plants (mainly orchids) and they sometimes eat the flowers.

 

[oneillchameleons]

Every one of my six veiled chams run to eat any dandelion greens and flowers I put in their cages. Just be sure they have no pesticide/herbicide on them. I grow some in a pot outside on the deck. I also feed kale, strawberry, and very thin slices of squash from time to time. It's a great way to get some extra vitamins and minerals in your chams diet.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Chameleon eating tons of jade cactus

Hello,

I wanted to put a live plant with my chameleon and everyone was recommending pothos, but I met with a botanist with a phd and was told pothos is toxic. He recommended the jade cactus because it holds lots of water which is what chameleons are usually looking for when they are eating plants.

Anyone have any other information,

Hue Hefner, Chameleon Esq

No, pothos is not toxic. It is high in oxalate crystals, which many plants are. These crystals can irritate the mouth and act as a deterrant against being munched on. Obviously, if the cham is munching it, the crystals aren't bothering it. In HUGE amounts, the oxalis acid could bind calcium, but so can lots of fruits, vegetables, and greens. A PhD in botany doesn't give him much credibility towards understanding that the Jade plant he recomended is not a good fit for the amount of water and low light levels, in a chameleon cage. A pothos is a great choice, for many reasons and is used by numerous keepers and there hasn't been any deaths attributed to pothos, yet.

 

[Bonyin]

How often do you change the veggies plate in their cage?

 

[Chameleonaire2890]

I just found out my chameleon loves collard greens ran out of crickets and pet store was closed so i tried them and he loves them

 

[Withthebrees]

I was curious if anyone cooks their veggies or if you just slice it and feed it raw? I know cooking it diminishes the nutritional value, even for humans but I'm curious about longevity(I would of course remove it if it was in for too long but still). I also like to buy veggies and precook them and keep them in the fridge/freezer for later use since I only really feed myself and it makes both cooking on limited time easier and it saves on veggies going bad. Is this okay for my veiled, and will he eat it like that?