Posted by:
Carlton
at Mon Jul 30 12:07:23 2007 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Carlton ]
Many many cham keepers have used Ficus with no problems from either sap or leaf toxicity. If you have a veiled who likes to chew on leaves, offer him something tastier than the Ficus such as chunks of fruit or veggies. Young chams don't browse leaves much. That seems to be something older chams do. What I do with a "new" Ficus that has a lot of small twigs densely packed, is thin it out with some mild pruning. I open up the internal shape of the plant to provide easier passage for the cham, and this helps avoid twig breakage as he moves around it. Take the plant out, prune the twigs and let the sap run. Once it seems to have stopped oozing, clean the sap off leaves off with a cloth and warm water. If the sap dries on branches it stays pretty inert. Yes, Ficus can be fussy and drop leaves if they are moved, but they do grow back if the plant is healthy. I tend to have a lot of foliage in my cages and think most cham prefer it that way. I really like your 2 hinged sides. This will give you a lot of easy access to the cage...great idea. Not sure about the ReptiGlo light. Is that for UV? I haven't heard that it produces much despite the claims. A more open wire mesh for the cage top will help the UV penetrate, stand up to the heat, and will support the weight of the light fixtures.
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