Papaya is a tropical fruit that is seasonal and can be found in grocery stores during the summer months. When ripe, this fruit has a sweet and flavorful taste to it. For humans, papaya is safe to eat, but what if you want to feed some of this delicious fruit to your chameleon.
Can chameleons eat papaya? Yes, the chameleon can eat papaya. It’s packed with vitamins and minerals that the chameleon needs to stay healthy. Papaya can be fed to them riped or unripe. Riped papaya should be fed to them in moderation as it contains a high amount of sugar.
Is It Healthy For Chameleon To Eat Papaya?
Has Powerful Antioxidants Effect
Papaya has a high amount of antioxidants. This compound helps protect the cells from damage due to free radicals. Free radicals can be caused by many things such as the foods the chameleon eats, inhaling cigarette smoke, and radiation emitted from electronic devices.
May Improve Digestion
Papaya is a good source of fiber which helps aid in digestion. The fiber will help with regular bowel movement and help move foods through the digestive tract smoothly.
Also, the papain enzyme in papaya can make food that contains protein easier to digest.
Help Improve Heart Health
Papaya is a fruit that is high in lycopene and vitamin C. Combined together, they can help prevent heart disease.
Also, the antioxidants in papaya help protect the heart and enhance the protective effects of “good” HDL cholesterol.
Can Baby Chameleon Eat Papaya?
Yes, baby chameleon can eat papaya. It’s a good way to introduce them to other food besides the staple food of insects.
However, it’s best to only feed papaya to baby chameleons in moderation. Papaya has a lot of nutrition, but it doesn’t have enough to meet the chameleon’s diet requirement.
Since ripe papaya is soft, you can simply cut the fruit in halves and place it on the branch of a tree. They slowly take a bite out of it and eat it.
Another option would be to hand feed the papaya to the baby chameleon. This method not only helps introduce the papaya to them but helps bond the owner and chameleon.
How To Feed Papaya To Chameleons
Feeding Papaya To Chameleon Using Your Hand
This method is a great way to bond with your chameleon. It will help them get to know you and won’t be scared when you approach them.
To hand feed papaya to the chameleon, simply cut a piece of the papaya and slowly guide it to them. It may take a couple of minutes before taking a bit out of it. Therefore, you’ll need to be patient.
One thing to be aware of using the hand method is the chance of getting bitten. Chameleons don’t want to bite you and they may do it by accident. If they do bite you, they’ll pull away quickly.
Fortunately, chameleons don’t have any toxins and the bite will usually be a scratch on the fingers.
Feeding Papaya To Chameleon Using Cup
This method involves placing the papaya fruit into a cup and feeding it to them. Cut a couple of pieces of papaya and place it into a cup. Put the cup on a tree branch or secure it to the side of the cage. The chameleon will slowly start biting a piece of it and eating it.
With this method, if there are any papaya left after 4 hours, discard it. Papaya has a high content of sugar and will attract flies and other pests.
How Much And How Often To Feed Papaya To Chameleons
Papaya is safe to feed chameleon as much as you want, but it’s better to feed them in moderation. Ripe papaya is high in sugar content which can harm the chameleon if they are fed too much of it.
Papaya doesn’t have the proper amount of nutrition that the chameleon requires each day. Therefore, it’s best to feed papaya to them in moderation. Once or twice per week is enough papaya for them to eat.
For their daily feeding, insects such as crickets, grasshoppers, and mealworms should be given to them. Papaya should be given to them as a supplement to their staple food.
Also, you want to rotate papaya with other fruits throughout the week. This is will give the chameleon additional nutrition that the papaya doesn’t have.
Other Fruits That Chameleons Can Eat
Apples
Apple has a lot of nutrients that the chameleon can benefit from. It’s one of the most popular fruit and can be bought throughout the year. All varieties of apples are safe for them to eat.
Bananas
Bananas have a lot of nutrition and it’s healthy for chameleons to eat them. However, like other fruits, bananas should be fed to them in moderation. This fruit when ripe is very high in sugar content. Too much sugar can cause the chameleon to have health problems.
Mango
Mango is high in fiber and is a great source of vitamins A and C. It also contains folate, iron, and a small amount of calcium. You can feed them ripe or unripe mangoes, but it’s best to feed them ripe ones. Ripe mangoes will have the most nutrition in them.
