Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ahhhh! i was just watching my 4 month old veiled when he looked down and snatched up one of those little "styrofoam ball things". i was sure i got all them out but apparently i didn't. i called the nursery and the lady there said that it was probally pearlite. i have read everywhere that these "little styrofoam balls" can cause impaction, but i have never seen what to do or what to watch out for after these are ingested.

thanks,

jonathan

First, get rid of the perlite in the potting soil or cover it over with a piece of screen. It could cause impactions if the cham ate a lot of it, so hopefully he just tried the one piece out of curiosity.

ok i can breathe a little bit easier now. the first thing i did after i saw him do it was cover all the soil with a 2-3 in. layer of large rocks so if theres more in there he cant get it. but what signs should i be watching out for? just lack of feces? should i look in his feces for the pearlite?

thanks,

jonathan colton

Hi Johnathan,

Removing perlite from the soil mix is next to impossible. Over time it floats to the top with every watering. You can actually try the floating method to remove it but it is very time consuming and you can't get it all. In the future buy soil that does not contain perlite or vermiculite.

Perlite is actually a volcanic glass (silica) that can have sharp edges. the dust is harmful if ingested (those of us who deal with it in the industry (plants) wear a filter mask) though breathing it in won't be a problem for your cham. Besides impaction there is the chance that internal cuts can occur. If he has not taken in much I would not worry too much but keep an eye on him thru his next poop or two

One note about your rock cover is that your soil may stay excessively moist and create a fungus gnat problem. these are harmless to your cham but annoying to us! ;/ Screen or plastic canvas (used in crafts, great stuff! all my plants are covered in it) is a better option.

lele

>>ok i can breathe a little bit easier now. the first thing i did after i saw him do it was cover all the soil with a 2-3 in. layer of large rocks so if theres more in there he cant get it. but what signs should i be watching out for? just lack of feces? should i look in his feces for the pearlite?
>>
>>thanks,
>>
>>jonathan colton
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia (MIA
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

here's a link about perlite
Link

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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia (MIA
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta