In the naturalistic husbandry, the feeding of pollen to chameleons has established already as a standard that almost no-one questioned. It has been a ling fight that I started years ago pointing at the dominant food item amongst chameleons, the pollinators: insects active in pollinating plants as a side-effect of their feeding on flower nectar and pollen and get either powdered by pollen, or gut-loaded by nectar and pollen or collecting it even such as the bees do...
Pollen is collected by beekeepers as a side-product of honey production and sold, mostly dried or even frozen. The composition of pollen is variable and differs from region to region and season to season based in the flowers, blooming at different times.
Manuka honey, same as any honey, contains a certain part of the Manuka pollen. It is well known for human consumption for its healing properties, mostly tied with the high content of anti-microbial factors (MGO, methylglyoxal), contained in it. It originates from the evergreen bush, manuka (Leptospermum scoparium, from the myrtle family Myrtaceae), native to New Zealand (Australia and some
Neighboring islands), called also NZ Teatree, manuka myrtle, broom tea-tree.
Chameleons have been reported repeatedly to benefit from manuka honey in treatment of different diseases such as mouth-rot, RI.
Manuka pollen has been tested by myself to treat bacterial infections even better than other types of pollen and if taken prophylactically, it helps to prevent bacterial and fungal diseases.
The manuka oil is great in treating scratches, wounds and if used in fogger dispensers, it helps to treat and prevent RI.
So, how does this miraculous Manuka plant look like? Enjoy few photos...
