Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have had my veiled for about 6 months and He has only eaten crickets and worms the entire time. I recieved some information from a local pet store, that will remain nameless, that I should be feeding my veiled plant matter as well and that they are the only chams that eat plant matter. He even suggested Hibiscus flowers. I know I can feed my beardie and my Russian tort hibiscus but I was wondering about the cham. If you have any information on this or perhaps a good web site or a book I could check out I would appreciate it.

Yes! Hibiscus is safe and your cham might really like them. The leaves are OK, too. The more the flowers are eaten the more it will flower. If it begins to get "leggy" (lots of growth between the leaves) you can cut it back about 6" from soil and let it go again. When I had Luna I used two plants and switched them off after cutting back. One is in flower right now but Darwin (beardie) doesn't like them

Just put the plant in the cage so he has easy access and he may eat some. They often don't begin eating fruits and veggies until they are 6 months or more. The guy was right in that they are the only species that eats vegetation It is though that this was a survival mechanism for the veiled between rainy season, this way they could get their needed water.

lele
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she is on the loose!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

you dont have to feed it plant matter. Its not necessary but it is healthy for them to get a variety in diet. Hibiscus is known to good for them to eat. Pothos leaves, umbrella plants, orchids and mums are all good.

just a note - pothos, and some other common house plants, contain oxalates and if consumed in too large quantities can cause skin and mouth irritaion. taking an ocassional bite or two is fine, but if you find they like plants be sure they have a variety.
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she is on the loose!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

Oxalic acid is also a calcium binder. Gutloading your feeder insects with high oxalic acid veggies can prevent proper calcium absorption. I have attached a government list of the oxalic content of some common fruits/veggies. there are other lists available elsewhere on the web. Some disease treatments suggest a low oxalate diet is beneficial so there are lists of the oxalate content in everything.
Oxalate content

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dianedfisher@yahoo.com

My 3 CWD-Avanyu, Tripod and Drago

that I posted in reply below, has a "comments" section where she lists the oxalates amount. Thanks for your link, too. Can never have too much info for our herps

lele
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she is on the loose!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

I have 1.2 Veileds in addition to other species; I use many different live and artificial plants in their cages. Of all the live plants in the cages, the hibiscus was the first to be totally defoliated by my adult male Veiled. My Mellerii, Ambilobe and one female Veiled ignored it completely. I had read and heard that chams will devour live plants in order to rehydrate, but my chams are willing, hearty drinkers and probably get more water than is necessary (they all have been conditioned to drink from the mister nozzle, so it's easy to monitor their intake) I personally oversee them drink at least 20 minutes every day.
Hibiscus will not have any adverse effects and if your cham loves it...rock on!

Thanks guys. I was under the impression that chams were completely carnivores so naturally when the guy at the pet store told me that I had to feed it plant matter or it won't make it I was a little worried. You guys have been a big help. I guess it off to the store to find some hibiscus plants. Thanks again.

Actually, they are insectivores (though some do eat other lizards and small birds), but veiled are the one that will eat vegetation. The guy definitely exaggerating that "it won't make it"

Just a few more veggie and fruit ideas: strawberry & butternut squash were 2 of Luna's favorites - she would practically fall off her branch to get a piece of strawberry! There is a bearde dragon site with a great nutriton chart for dragon's. I used it as a guide for gutloading feeder insects as well as to what was safe to offer Luna (and of course, Darwin) see link below

here's how much she enjoyed them

nutrition chart

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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she is on the loose!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

To my knowledge, veiled's are the only ones that will eat vegetaion regularly (if they chose to) your Meller's and panther would not be interested anyway. Luna ate SOME veggies and fruit but was very picky! lol!
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she is on the loose!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

Veileds will eat not only leaves and flowers from plants but fruits and veggies as well. I have fed mine thawed to room temperature frozen mixed vegetables, apple pear, dandelion greens, collards, kale, diced red pepper (a particular favorite), finely diced butternut squash, zucchini, melon, berries and much more. I have a lot of them (females in particular) that will almost strip every leaf off a pothos plant. (POthos is the only plant I have used in veiled cages for a long time now...they are easy to grow and not as expensive as some of the other edible plants. I've never used hibiscus or ficus...not saying that they shouldn't be used...just that I haven't used them.) with no health issues resulting. Many of my males have lived to be over 7 years of age and my females frequently live to be over 7 as well.

Although I have also heard that veileds eat vegetation/leaves to help with their hydration levels, I think its to get certain nutrients that they may be lacking in their diet. I believe that this is why some of them eat soils too. Just my own opinion!

I have had the odd veiled that won't even touch any of the fruits, veggies, leaves or flowers....and I can tell you that they don't die when they don't eat them.

I have also seen my panther chameleons eat veggies and fruit a few times...and I'm sure that I read somewhere that they weren't the only ones that will.

I also have had beardies and tortoises....and so far everything that I can give them can be given to the veileds too. I go easy on the acidic fruits and veggies though.

Thanks for the help guys. Its been very informing. I have another question though not on this subject. My cham is mean, he doesn't like anybody...and I mean anybody possibly even himself. I have been told from other sources that some chams just do not get along with anybody. I was wondering if this can be changed. Is there anything I can do to make him more playful or even a bit nicer?

Nope.
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CANADIAN CHAMELEONS

Its not likely that you can change your chameleon's "personality"...but in my experience, I've found that the ones that don't like me are the best producers.

But...be careful when you try to put a female with him. These "mean" ones usually react first as though you were showing it another male....so I always show them the female so that she is outside the cage and he can't get at her. The male usually calms down in a few minutes when he realizes its a female that's come to visit. There are some "mean" males who, if they can still see you, won't calm down though...because they are reacting to you and not the female. This takes a little more finesse to get them together safely!

although I have only had a female, I know that sexual maturity is around 6 months (which I think your's is) and that the personality can change considerably (sometimes for the worse). But then again, if you ask Feenie about Stitch he has turned out to be a real dear. When I met him as a youngster in FL he was a terror and then she bought him later and says he is a sweetie (well, as far as "sweetie" a cham can be). So do your best to accept him and respect(!) him for whatever he turns out to be.
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she is on the loose!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet