veiled chameleon diet

[atheris]

i was somewhat surprised not to see a thread regarding to the relatively strange diet of the yemeni veiled chameleon at this forum. it is a fact overlooked by many keepers, and probably even breeders of the species, but they are in fact omnivorous lizards. like bearded dragons, they are mainly insectivores as juveniles, but at around 3-4 inches svl a salad of varied greens should be offered. this should include broccoli, lettuce, spinach, kale, etc... this sounds odd, perhaps unbelievable, but i assure you, find a website of a quality breeder of veileds, and it should be mentioned there, although, as i said, even some breeders have overlooked this fact, so you may have to check a few sites to find this proper nutritional information being given. failure to provide this diet may result in mbd, or other health problems, and will often lead to a shortened life span. anyone considering aquiring a veiled chameleon, please don't take this as a crock of doodoo, and look well into this. veileds are from a desert-like habitat, and at times plant matter is easier to come by than insect prey, which has led to this strange variation in diet. they are indeed the only omnivorous chameleons in the world. for the most commonly kept chameleon, amazingly few keepers are aware how to properly feed their pets! i hope i have been a help! ciao

[reptigirl04]

Agreed! I read up on Veileds a few weeks ago and was quite surprised that they ate plant matter(i dont have one)...anyhow...i hope anyone who owns or is interested in owning a veiled reads this thread.

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[samvos]

how do you prepare plant matter for feeding? do you cut it up small? put it in a dish?

whats the best vegetation to feed them?

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[jvillereptile]

the best forum to go to for chameleons is Chameleon Forums. it has the top breeders in the country on the forum and all they deal with are chameleons

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[blood4eva69]

that is a true fact... i have chameleon and it responds very well to greens

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[fatedgod]

I posted a new handling guide for Veiled here in response to this thread. I agree that veileds need greens (mustard, collard, or other leafy veggies) and they should be provided to compensate for their calcium requirements. Also, putting live plants in the enclosure can cut down on the number of times a week greens need to be offered.

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