When we think of the ficus, we tend to think at first that it will be a perfect plant to decorate your interior. Indeed, this is why these species have gained their letters of nobility in recent years.
However, the ficus are not only intended to decorate the interior of your home and if you have an animal that lives in a terrarium, you already know that we are going to talk about a very specific subject.
Indeed, for your animal to feel at its best, you must put plants in this terrarium. However, some plants are poisonous and you are probably wondering which ones it is possible to put.
Among these plants, you may have also fallen for ficuses and you are wondering which ficus for a chameleon you should choose. We will see it all together.
Ficus - General information
There are a whole bunch of different ficus trees on the market, each with characteristics that will look better on some people than on others. This is why we invite you to discover them all in our article on this subject.
The maintenance conditions of a ficus for a chameleon
The first thing you will need to see before seeing which ficus for a chameleon is whether your terrarium will meet the needs of the plant. Indeed, ficus trees are used to being demanding.
A terrarium with a temperature around 25 degrees and a fairly dry atmosphere will therefore suit them perfectly, they who do not spatially require a lot of water to be able to develop satisfactorily.
On the other hand, if you plan to have a more humid terrarium, or even with an aquatic part, we strongly advise against ficus trees, which are absolutely not going to please in these environments.
You will quickly notice that the leaves turn brown, which is a sign that you have the roots which are rotting and therefore your plant is dying!
But here the question is what ficus is for a chameleon. However, these chameleon terrariums tend to be dry, which should suit the specific needs of the ficus much better.
So, we would be tempted to say that everything is perfect and that therefore we can gold and already rush to the nearest garden center to buy ficus, but that would be a terrible mistake to make!
Remember, this is a toxic family!
Indeed, when we choose a ficus for a chameleon, there is information to take into account, theficus trees emit a milky sap that contains many substances that are toxic.
This is not only the case for humans, but also for animals and chameleons are unfortunately no exception to the rule. So, yes, a ficus can be a danger to your pet.
If ever he has the habit of chewing on the plants that are in his habitat, what we recommend is to abandon the idea of mistaking a ficus for a chameleon because the danger is there!
Instead, there are a whole bunch of other plants. Some even manage to have beautiful lush leaves while ensuring that there is no danger to your animal like those of the calathea family.
The ficus benjamina is the reference of ficus for a chameleon
On reading these lines, some may be surprised to see that we do not recommend ficus for a chameleon when, in fact, one of the most popular plants in terrariums is the ficus benjamina!
Indeed, we see a lot of them, but the fact remains that these plants have a toxic sap which can at best greatly upset your chameleon if he took the idea of making it his snack one day.
So, if your chameleon doesn't chew the leaves and you absolutely want a ficus for a chameleon, yes, you can take a benjamina, but be careful that he doesn't swallow it.
A safe plant?
As we have said, all the plants of the family have this sap and will therefore be unsuitable. but if a ficus for a chameleon is not recommended, what are the alternatives. Well, we gave you one earlier.
If you want elongated leaves that resemble that of the ficus Alii for example, you can opt for howea forsteriana which will have a similar result while not being toxic to your animal.
We will even give you some advice on replacing a ficus elastica which is the choice of a lot of people in a terrarium. With a maranta leucura, you will find beautiful and large leaves that strongly resemble those of the elastic.
Finally, know that it is also quite possible to grow flowering plants in your terrarium if you want to get away from the ficus for a chameleon. In this case, turn for example to a thunbergia alata.
Our advice for buying your ficus
Ficuses are beautiful plants, and there are all kinds of them. Are you struggling to make your choice? No worries, we've made a selection for you.
