chameleons tounge got stuck to leaf

[lisalisa]

I was feeding my Senegal Camille this morning when she missed the mealworm and her tongue got stuck to the leaf. She tried to retract her tounge but it seemed stuck and she like fell forward and like.closed her mouth around her tongue and it came loose but she looked like it hurt. I picked her up right away and she looked sad and kept swallowing and kinda cringed. She wouldn't eat afterwards so I just left her alone. Is this common? Will she be OK.

 

[richardschris]

This happened to my panther once, and he just let it stick there, he didnt close his mouth on it, thank goodness and luckily I saw it happen and was able to unstick it pretty quickly.
So I consider myself lucky, I have heard stories of chameleons biting there tongues and the damage being so bad that they have to cut the tongue off, that is the worst case scenario.
I would just watch him for the next few days and make sure he can still eat fine.

 

[nightanole]

Here is my oust (bout double the weight of a panther). It got my finger and the bug at the same time. That was a decision. Lucky me he knew what he was chomping in wasnt a bug and didnt break the skin.

I dont know why they dont loose their tongues. All it is is an iguana type made into a bag and a small muscle to pull it and make it envelope the bug (like if you would fall into a pool with the liner still on). Its not sticky...