Plants - Chameleons Are Arboreal The use of natura...

Plants - Chameleons Are Arboreal

The use of natural plants is beneficial when keeping chameleons. The plant naturally increases humidity, and some species will browse leaves.

Avoid substrates other than clean soil that does not include fertilizers, pesticides or other additives such as perlite, or small bark. A chameleon that injests such additives could experience an intestinal blockage serious enough to cause death.

New plants should at least be cleaned topically before introducing it to an enclosure. Nurseries are notorious for using topical and systemic pesticides. We recommend that you spray the entire plant with a mild soap and water solution (2 tablespoons soap to one quart water). Make sure to get the underside of the leaves. Allow to stand for 20 minutes then rinse until no soap is left.

Trimming the root ball will encourage new plant growth. For added safety you can remove all soil and hose the roots, then repot in clean soil without additives. Allow the plant to rest for a few days before using it.

Special care should be taken when trimming ficus trees. The leaves and branches leak a milky sap when cut or broken. This can be very irritating to a chameleon"s eyes, and potentially cause infection. To avoid this, remove the chameleon from the enclosure, trim the tree and rinse. The rinsing seems to help the cuts heal but we like to have an extra tree or two to allow the tree to rest.

Note: It helps to have an extra plant or two of multiple species so they can recover from trims and chameleon browsing.

COMMONLY USED PLANTS

China doll
Ficus ali
Ficus benjamina,
Hibiscus
Pothos
Shefflera