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Plants
and Branches . . .
Most chameleons spend their entire lives living in
shrubs and trees. Plants provide a sense of security as well as a "home"
within their enclosure. Plant leaves are a natural surface for water droplets which
the chameleon will drink from. Within
the enclosure, there should be branches for your chameleon to climb back and
forth on. Branches with different widths and angles make it possible for
your chameleon to exercise it's grip. Precaution should be used when
selecting branches, as some may originate from trees and plants that are toxic.
Due to pesticide and fertilizer use in most plant
nurseries, whenever you introduce a new plant or branches to your animal's enclosure,
there are some preparation steps we highly recommend following. Many nursery's and garden
centers use heavy duty pesticides to protect the plants but these same pesticides may
prove
FATAL to your chameleon if ingested. Make sure they are removed! Here are some easy
steps to help you do just that:
Plants:
Step 1: Take a clean bucket and fill it with a
squirt of anti-bacterial soap and water. Create a soapy solution. Invert the plant
"head down" into the water. Vigorously swish the plant around so that all the
leaves and stem are covered in bubbles. Let the plant sit for approximately 5
minutes.
Step 2: Rinse the plant thoroughly so that any soap solution is
removed.
Step 3: The potting soil the plant originally
comes in may contain time released fertilizers and soil additives that could be
detrimental to your animal if ingested. We recommend re-potting the plant first, before
your chameleon's introduction. We use Supersoil which
can be purchased at most local garden centers. We consider this simple process to be vital
in setting up your chameleon's new home.
Branches:
Use the same cleaning
procedure as outlined above in Steps 1 and 2. If needed, scrub off any
caked on debris or loose bark. Be sure you are using branches that
originate from non-toxic trees or shrubs.
What plants are
OK
to use in my chameleon enclosure?
For a list of SAFE PLANTS,
please refer to the following websites:

Melissa Kaplan's Giant Green Iguana Care Collection:
Plants &
Herpetoculture








What plants could be
DANGEROUS to my chameleon?
For a detailed list of POISONOUS PLANTS
(including photos), please go to:





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