Veiled keeps trying to eat soil/perlite???

[JaclynCali]

I just recently moved from CA to AZ so my computer isn't hooked up yet and I'm unable to fill out the "how to ask for help" until I get my computer going...

Ziggy is a year and a half now and the past few weeks I've caught him in one of his live plants (Croton) trying to shoot his tongue at the soil that I have covered by river rock. He's managed to find a few small pieces and injest them before I could stop him. Does anyone know what could be making him do this?? I try and feed him a variety of food but he only eats silkies, hornworms, giant mealworms, and sometimes dubias (if I can trick him into eating them). Any help is much appreciated!

 

[AwpsAhoy]

Veiled chams are notorious for eating dirt from what I have read....Maybe cover up the dirt better with more stones so that he cant move them to get to it also. Maybe someone more experienced can answer better but maybe it is a supplementation problem?

 

[JaclynCali]

Veiled chams are notorious for eating dirt from what I have read....Maybe cover up the dirt better with more stones so that he cant move them to get to it also. Maybe someone more experienced can answer better but maybe it is a supplementation problem?

I added more rock so he couldn't sneak his tongue in between them. I dust all his food with Repashy Calicium Plus/ multivitamin every feeding. He hates crickets/roaches and will only eat silkies, hornworms, and giant mealworms along with veggies and fruit. As soon as he hit 7 months, his appetite decreased a lot and it's been really hard to find a good staple diet for him that he will actually eat.

 

[junglefries]

eating

Veils will eat all kinds of things. they'll eat the plants in their cage, dirt, baby food, fruits and veggies, etc... they are looking for either water or needed vitamins and minerals. it's hard to know without keeping a journal. i keep a journal on all my chams, but especially document my veils.

 

[CLP]

I have heard chams will eat dirt if there is something missing from their diet in terms of vitamins or minerals. You could try dusting with a product called Minerall O and see if that helps.

As for only eating the worms and odd dubia, it could just be he's being picky. Sometimes chams will go on a "hunger strike" waiting for their favorites. If you think he is a healthy enough weight, you can always try waiting him out. He'll get hungry enough sooner or later to eat the other feeders you offer. Some chams have been known to hunger strike for several weeks, though I don't know that I would be comfortable letting mine go that long (I'm too much of a worrier ).

 

[arnau666]

hy, my veiled also does this all the time.
if he sees dirt , earth , soil he is going after it.
if i put him in the free range and i dont cover the soil he is all over it.
donno why he does this but its crazy how the acts when he sees it.
it may be a lack of mineral,vitamin, digestion problems, or just cose they want it.
until we know the reson for this behaviour we should keep them away from soil and cover it.
i also know other friends with veileds that they act exactly like this - we use totaly diferent food,gutloading and supplements.

 

[JaclynCali]

I have heard chams will eat dirt if there is something missing from their diet in terms of vitamins or minerals. You could try dusting with a product called Minerall O and see if that helps.

As for only eating the worms and odd dubia, it could just be he's being picky. Sometimes chams will go on a "hunger strike" waiting for their favorites. If you think he is a healthy enough weight, you can always try waiting him out. He'll get hungry enough sooner or later to eat the other feeders you offer. Some chams have been known to hunger strike for several weeks, though I don't know that I would be comfortable letting mine go that long (I'm too much of a worrier ).

The longest I've gone without feeding him anything but crickets was almost 2 wks and rather than eating a cricket, he ate half of his Pothos plant so I finally gave in and gave him the worms. Ugh! I'm a worrier too! I wish I could figure this out and fix my husbandry before it affects my other cham.

 

[JaclynCali]

hy, my veiled also does this all the time.
if he sees dirt , earth , soil he is going after it.
if i put him in the free range and i dont cover the soil he is all over it.
donno why he does this but its crazy how the acts when he sees it.
it may be a lack of mineral,vitamin, digestion problems, or just cose they want it.
until we know the reson for this behaviour we should keep them away from soil and cover it.
i also know other friends with veileds that they act exactly like this - we use totaly diferent food,gutloading and supplements.

Well this makes me feel a little bit better knowing my veiled isn't the only one! I feel like he might not be getting all the nutrients/minerals he needs because he only wants worms. My crickets/roaches are gut loaded with big burger and fresh veggies/fruit but only my panther will eat them. Now my panther is having issues with his right eye and I'm freaking out thinking he has a vit A deficiency? I wish I knew what I was doing wrong? Should I not be using the Repashy Calcium/multivitamin every day?