Can chameleons taste?

[Ladybones]

Sounds crazy but I been getting Randalls Crickets at Petco all the time, then I decided to buy 500 Crickets from Ghann's cricket farms and Randall will hardly eat them, it's like he don't like them, So do certain kind of crickets taste different to chameleons?

 

[Stefan9881]

She might be tired of crickets. My chameleons constantly refuse to eat some type of insect so I just offer them something else. Try to feed her hoppers, silkworms, hornworms, roaches, moths or locusts (their illegal here in the US). You could also stop feeding her for 2-3 days and then offer her crickets. But during this time you shouldnt even show her a cricket imo at least.
Hope this helps

 

[pssh]

I have read a study about how chameleons will choose certain feeders in order to regulate their nutrient intake. I've also read about how chameleons will sometimes prefer crickets that have been gutloaded with different foods. Maybe it is because of the taste, or maybe it is because they are trying to regulate their nutrients by preferring the bugs that are gutloaded differently.

 

[Ladybones]

I am using the same gutload, but they are a different breed crickets, I guess Ghanns crickets are banded crickets and not sure what petco's are as the day before i bought the ghanns crickets he was eating just fine and then the next day he had ghanns and he ate a bunch (probably because he thought they were the same kind as usual) and now he will eat only a few. He is eating everyday but you can tell he just don't like them. now I have less then 500 crickets for him to eat and he don't like them lol

 

[Ladybones]

wow, i think they do have taste buds, Since I seen Randall not eating many Ghann's crickets at all i decided to give him a few large mealworms, as soon as I opened the container up he ran and got on me to get to them, he never does that ever and i put a few in his feeder cup and wow did he chow down, Think I will check my theory and run to petco this afternoon and once again buy some crickets from them and see if he will eat them and then I will know if it's the Ghanns crickets he does not like or crickets in general now.

 

[stalincat]

My wee dude Bishop won't eat crickets at all. Just doesn't like them. What can you do ey

 

[AlecWade]

I have also heard that chameleons do have a sense of taste. Would really like to hear some hard evidence for that one though. My cham was never picky choosy until just a month or two ago however!

 

[HyperC]

Hmm, I wonder sometimes cause mine will pick and choose which crickets she decides to eat...Even if one walks right past her she would eat a different one...Maybe its the sex of the cricket in my case?

On topic though thats weird mine seems to eat all petland, petsmart, petco, and Armstrongs all no problem...

 

[Chameleonic]

They surely can taste. They have a tongue. Life is cruel, but they will have evolved some sort of method for making sure they don't eat poison lol. Ever seen a lizard eat a lady bug? Bitter little things, if my anole is anything to go by.
We all know that our chams are more enthusiastic for some foods over others. any regulating of nutrient intake must also have an elemenet of taste too. Or smell at least (very closely linked taste and smell). My 2 cents.