Chameleon chewing on branches?

[Mom]

Hello again everybody, I have another question about my young Panther chameleon. I have read on the forums that some chameleon like to eat plants, sometimes more so than insects, but what about chewing on branches?

I've collected crepe myrtle branches and cleaned them thoroughly several times and let them sun dry for a few days. He loves to crawl along the branches but never tried chewing on them until yesterday when I added a larger crepe myrtle branch to provide more verticle climbing space. I'm not sure what is special about the new crepe myrtle piece I added, but he tries to chew on it and I don't know why. Any suggestions? My chameleon will be four months old next week.

Here is a picture of his cage. The newest crepe myrtle piece is on the left and is the largest branch I have in his enclosure. He was trying to chew on the nub part of the branch.

 

[carol5208]

Yes panthers will chew on things from time to time. I don't think anyone knows for sure, but there is speculation of maybe some sort of deficiency in the diet. I don't think that has ever been proven. If he is biting off pieces and swallowing, I would remove it. If it is causing no harm, then just leave it. I had a big fake Toucan on my patio that was made of resin and for some odd reason my one panther used to bite the tail. I have no Idea why!

 

[Mom]

I will make sure I keep a good eye on it! At first I was wondering if age was a factor, like a teething puppy, but that seemed odd for a reptile. And he doesn't try to chew on the other branches, just this one. Occasionally he will try to bite the plastic vines.

For his diet, I feed him crickets, waxworms, and superworms and silkworms. I also catch grasshoppers and house flies. I gutload my insects and give him his supplements according to the Panther Chameleon Care Sheet (calcium w/o D3 daily, and calcium with D3 twice a month and multivitamins twice a month).