Chameleon not using tounge as often when feeding?

[TSW]

Hi all, my 4 month old veiled has stopped using his tounge as often when feeding. He used to stand on the branch adjacent to his feeding cup, but now he pretty much climbs all the way in and just picks his food up and the times he does use his tounge, hes like 1cm away. Is this strange behaviour? Or is he just a lazy boy?

Thanks

• Your Chameleon - 4 month old, Male Veiled/Yemen. Had him since 23/04/2020
• Handling - haven't handled him at all as he is very nervous
• Feeding - around 10 small silent crickets a day with a dusting of calcium. Crickets are gut loaded with orange, lettuce, carrot peel, tomato.
• Supplements - ProRep Calci dust (no D3) Exo terra calci dust (with D3) Exo terra Multi vitamin. calci dust twice a weak, multivits and D3 twice a month.
• Watering - Exo terra dripping plant, Spray bottle for manual misting 3 - 4 times a day to keep humidity up.
• Fecal Description - normal
• History - other than he came from blackpool reptiles, not alot of history

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Screen terrarium 60 x 45 x 90
• Lighting - Exo terra daylight basking spot on all day, Zoo med reptisun 10.0 UVB tube.
• Temperature - temps are measured with exo terra digital thermometers. Bottom temp: 21⁰c, Basking temp: 29⁰c, at night it get down to 18⁰c - 19⁰c ish
• Humidity - humidity is around 50% and i use an exo terra digital hygrometer
• Plants - Devils Ivy/Golden Pothos, hibiscus, and Yucca
• Placement - in a bedroom not near any foot traffic. Cage bottom sits 40cm off the floor. No fan nearby.
• Location - Cambridgeshire, United kingdom

 

[Lennoncham]

It looks like you might be overdosing d3.

the Exo Terra multivitamin has d3 in it. And the 10.0 uvb is very strong.

I would switch to a 5.0

I would give a dose of vit a right now. Vit a can block d3. You can do this with a vit a gel capsule. Poke a hole in it and put a drop or 2 on a cricket/ locust.

then stop all supplements for a couple weeks.

Then start with the calcium every feeding. Then you can add in a different vitamin without d3 twice a month and the calcium with d3 twice a month.

 

[Lennoncham]

Oh. I just noticed you only had him a week?

 

[TSW]

Oh. I just noticed you only had him a week?

Yeh, we've only had him a week. Thank you for the advice.

 

[MissSkittles]

Get rid of the tomato in your gut loading. I believe it is toxic to chameleons. Whatever you feed your feeders, will be passed on to your cham.

 

[TSW]

Get rid of the tomato in your gut loading. I believe it is toxic to chameleons. Whatever you feed your feeders, will be passed on to your cham.
View attachment 265365

Sorry i forgot to update that. Someone noticed that previously and ive stopped feeding tomato.

 

[jamest0o0]

Does he use his tongue at all or is he just going up to it and biting? Chameleons can injure their tongues and may permanently stop using them. Did you see him get his tongue stuck to anything?

What's toxic about tomatoes? Their leaves/stems contain alkaloids that can be toxic in large amounts, but I don't know that tomatoes are. Still better gutloalds to be using, probably wouldn't use more than a small amount once in a while.

 

[TSW]

Does he use his tongue at all or is he just going up to it and biting? Chameleons can injure their tongues and may permanently stop using them. Did you see him get his tongue stuck to anything?

What's toxic about tomatoes? Their leaves/stems contain alkaloids that can be toxic in large amounts, but I don't know that tomatoes are. Still better gutloalds to be using, probably wouldn't use more than a small amount once in a while.

I haven't seen him get it stuck or anything. He does use it but very rarely. Hes just started climbing right into the feeding cup to get as close as possible to th food.

 

[jamest0o0]

I haven't seen him get it stuck or anything. He does use it but very rarely. Hes just started climbing right into the feeding cup to get as close as possible to th food.

Hows his aim when he does use it? Might just be getting lazy with the feeder cup. Try putting a feeder on a branch and see how he goes for it.

 

[cyberlocc]

Does he use his tongue at all or is he just going up to it and biting? Chameleons can injure their tongues and may permanently stop using them. Did you see him get his tongue stuck to anything?

What's toxic about tomatoes? Their leaves/stems contain alkaloids that can be toxic in large amounts, but I don't know that tomatoes are. Still better gutloalds to be using, probably wouldn't use more than a small amount once in a while.

The tomatoes themselves also contain the Alkaloids as well as Nicotine. All nightshade contains nicotine, including the Fruits/Veggies so Tomatoes, Potatoes, Egg Plant.

I'm not sure how much nicotinr it would take to hurt a Chameleon, but as a Smoker that now Vapes instead, I have been "Nic Sick" and its not pleasant.

 

[jamest0o0]

The tomatoes themselves also contain the Alkaloids as well as Nicotine. All nightshade contains nicotine, including the Fruits/Veggies so Tomatoes, Potatoes, Egg Plant.

I'm not sure how much nicotinr it would take to hurt a Chameleon, but as a Smoker that now Vapes instead, I have been "Nic Sick" and its not pleasant.

Yeah, but the amount in the fruit itself is so low. The same can be said for potatoes and people use them all the time to raise superworms and other insects. Probably not the best thing, but a tiny amount once in a while shouldn't hurt anything.

 

[MissSkittles]

I could have sworn I read that tomatoes were toxic. That is why we don’t use hornworms that have been feeding off of them. Or is it the tomato leaves? I don’t want to derail this thread though.

 

[jamest0o0]

I could have sworn I read that tomatoes were toxic. That is why we don’t use hornworms that have been feeding off of them. Or is it the tomato leaves? I don’t want to derail this thread though.

It's the leaves they feed on, they are nightshades along with peppers/potatoes/etc. The fruits do contain some toxic alkaloids, but it's very small amounts and even less when ripe or cooked.