Baby Panther

[Kayroxyoursox]

I just got a baby panther chameleon last Wednesday. He is eating and drinking finebut I have noticed that when he eats he doesn't shoot his tongue at the crickets he kind of just walks behind them and stalks them until he can touch them with his tongue from close up to eat them. Is this normal for babies? He is around 4 months old

 

[carol5208]

No, not normal at all. He should be shooting his tongue out far. Tongue issues can result from injury, infection, or nutritional imbalances. Did he shoot his tongue far when you first got him and now he cannot, or was it like this from day one?

 

[Kayroxyoursox]

He didn't eat the first day and I figured it's normal from the stress of being shipped.. But I haven't seen him shoot his tongue at all since I got him. I've seen him eat a few crickets but he always eats them the same way.

 

[carol5208]

I would contact the seller and let them know what is going on and that the problem has happened since the first time you saw him eat. Hopefully in time it will correct itself, especially if he injured it in some way. If not, they can live a somewhat normal life. You can cup feed in a shallow cup or hand feed them if they cannot catch the food themselves.

 

[Kayroxyoursox]

I've been trying to cup feed because i just don't like crickets all over everywhere and they always somehow find a way to escape the cages, but he would much rather just chase them down. I will contact the seller and see what he says thank you!

 

[carol5208]

ok and good luck!. Hopefully it will get better with time.

 

[Jmintz]

Try this

Hi,
What you're describing doesn't sound normal for a Cham. I also have a baby that's 3 months old and he eats like a beast! His tongue shoots so far that you can see him grab the crickets and also hear the force of his tongue slapping the side of the cage when gets them off the screen. I was worried about having one shipped, so I bought mine from a local breeder. The first night I put him in his cage I figured that he wouldn't eat and he ate just fine. The next morning I tried hand feeding him a cricket and he snatched it right off my hand. I bought him some meal worms and he does the same thing. Don't buy the dead mealworms because he won't eat anything dead. Buy some live mealworms and while holding your hand flat lay the mealworm on your hand and hold it like 3-4 inches in front of his face and see if he'll snatch from your hand. He might just need a little help in learning how to hunt. Hope this helps your baby!

 

[Gavinsons]

Mealworms are not a good choice for any cham. Their shells are too hard and can't easily be digested. Try superworms instead. Much softer exoskeleton. My baby panther eats house flies I buy from spiderpharm.com and small crickets.

 

[NvC Dex]

My chams eat meal worms just fine. But those are for one in a while... Mainly when I run out of crickets and the place I get them from is closed.

 

[Kayroxyoursox]

He's eating fine but he has to get real close to the crickets to be able to catch them. The person I purchased him from offered to swap him for a different one but I don't know I like him a lot I'm just worried about him

 

[Kayroxyoursox]

Would you guys switch him for another one or just wait and see? What would they do to him if I sent him back?

 

[carol5208]

Where did you get him from? I would probably keep him, especially not knowing if the problem is permanent.

 

[Kayroxyoursox]

Yes I think I am going to keep him. He doesn't have an infection from what I can see so i think it is something that will get better with time. I got him from pantherbaron and he has been super nice and helpful. If anyone's looking for a beautiful baby Panther I recommend him highly.