A lazy lizard or a potential health concern?

[AJA]

I have been noticing that my female Ambanja will walk up to a cricket to eat it as opposed to striking it with her tongue. She did demonstrate normal eating habits before so I am now wondering if she is having a vision or a tongue issue?

Has anyone experienced this before with their chameleon? If so, please share what you observed and how you resolved it. Her weight is good, she has UVB, she gets Mineral-All once a week. She eats silks, roaches and crickets.

Thank you.

 

[laurie]

This is no help but I have one doing the same thing. I was also wondering why, maybe we can find out together. Even our chameleons are alike!!!

 

[kinyonga]

Often when a chameleon does this there is an issue with the tongue. It could have injured it or it could be a calcium issue.

What supplements are you using and how often for each? Please be specific.
What brand and type (compact, spiral, long liner tube) of UVB light are you using and is there any glass or plastic between it and the chameleon?

What's the temperature in the warmest area of the cage?

 

[AJA]

She is getting Miner-All for chameleons once a week. I have only dusted the crickets which is her primary food. She is under a linear UVB with a 60watt incandescent as well. The house is on the cool side (65) so I would say her basking spot would be 75, but I haven't seen her basking for some time. But then I am not at home all day either.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

She is getting Miner-All for chameleons once a week. I have only dusted the crickets which is her primary food. She is under a linear UVB with a 60watt incandescent as well. The house is on the cool side (65) so I would say her basking spot would be 75, but I haven't seen her basking for some time. But then I am not at home all day either.

View attachment 17571

 

[hallenhe]

How old is she? - Thaxter (4.5 years) still shoots, but has started (in the past couple weeks) shooting gently from a couple inches away in preference to shooting vigorously from several inches. I've been assuming it's age-related, but don't really know.

 

[AJA]

She is a youngun still. She's only had one clutch.

I will bump up her supplementation. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[jojackson]

Id bump up her natural UV instead. Do you cup feed or free range the crickets?

 

[AJA]

She gets free ranging crickets. As far as "natural" UV , do you mean to take her outside? There is NO sun here, it's winter! Right now its freezing out too. {{{brrrrr}}}

 

[jojackson]

Well it woud be, but your not in antartica either, there are some sunny days in winter.
A freind of mind in the states went as far as rigging outdoor heat lights, so his beardy could get natural Uv on his verandah on winter days. *shrugs*
Re the crix, it may be no more than prefrence, easy pickings, its not like the crickets try to run away/hop away, like grasshoppers in the wild. They are warm and comfy in your chams cage. Maybe it just knows it dosent need to shoot.

 

[draetish]

A freind of mind in the states went as far as rigging outdoor heat lights, so his beardy could get natural Uv on his verandah on winter days.

Excellent idea, I'm on it!

 

[kinyonga]

AJA said..."She is getting Miner-All for chameleons once a week. I have only dusted the crickets which is her primary food. She is under a linear UVB with a 60watt incandescent as well. The house is on the cool side (65) so I would say her basking spot would be 75, but I haven't seen her basking for some time. But then I am not at home all day either."...75F is too low for a basking area. If she is over 4 months of age the basking area should be in the range or 80 to 85F. Temperature plays a part in digestion and thus indirectly in absorption of nutrients.

Regarding supplements...since many of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phos. its important to dust at almost every feeding with a phos.-free calcium powder.

I feel that exposure to UVB should provide most of the D3 needed, but I dust twice a month lightly with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder to ensure that it gets some D3 without over doing it. D3 from supplements builds up in the system and can cause damage.

I dust with a vitamin powder twice a month too that has a beta carotene source of vitamin A since prEformed vitamin A can build up in the system.

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and need to be in balance if you don't want your chameleon to end up with calcium issues. If the problem with your chameleon's tongue is a calcium issue, then you need to bring things back into balance to correct it and then maintain the balance.

 

[bighutch917]

Natural sunlight has worked best for me. I have the same issue with one of my chams. When indoors her refuses to use tongue but the moment I set him outside he projects it with no problem whatsoever.