Eating question

[Awesome Apollo]

After catching his prey, my panther will hold the bug in his mouth for up to 15 min. without chewing it. Also sometimes he looks like he is just swallowing without chewing. Is this normal? Thanks!

 

[Thegreatfonz]

Interesting.. 15 minutes is a long time! My panther would do this too but not for so long maybe like 30 seconds. Its like he's contemplating eating it or not even though its already in his mouth. But maybe if he was doing this for 15 minutes I would think that the catch is too big for him.

 

[Psychobunny]

Panthers are well know to do this.
It's not abnormal for Squee or my un-named panther to have half a cricket
sticking out of their mouth in a 'frozen' state sometimes for a few minutes.

The best answer to why they do it is because they don't want to move
after catching a bug out of fear of being spotted by a predator which may
have also been after the same bug!!

Any movement could give away their position.
When they feel it's safe, they will start chomping it down

Anyway, I have not studied wild chams in the field, and read this in a book,
so I don't know if it's 100% the straight scoop

 

[Thegreatfonz]

Panthers are well know to do this.
It's not abnormal for Squee or my un-named panther to have half a cricket
sticking out of their mouth in a 'frozen' state sometimes for a few minutes.

The best answer to why they do it is because they don't want to move
after catching a bug out of fear of being spotted by a predator which may
have also been after the same bug!!

Any movement could give away their position.
When they feel it's safe, they will start chomping it down

Anyway, I have not studied wild chams in the field, and read this in a book,
so I don't know if it's 100% the straight scoop

That makes a lot of sense! I would just look away when my cham would stop chewing..
So that could mean that chams may think we were trying to get that nasty cricket they just tongue grabbed? ew!

 

[Zen]

marinates the cricket before digestion

 

[Awesome Apollo]

Panthers are well know to do this.
It's not abnormal for Squee or my un-named panther to have half a cricket
sticking out of their mouth in a 'frozen' state sometimes for a few minutes.

The best answer to why they do it is because they don't want to move
after catching a bug out of fear of being spotted by a predator which may
have also been after the same bug!!

Any movement could give away their position.
When they feel it's safe, they will start chomping it down

Anyway, I have not studied wild chams in the field, and read this in a book,
so I don't know if it's 100% the straight scoop

Wow, cool, thanks for the info. That makes a lot of sense. I will stop watching him eat so he is more comfortable.

 

[Awesome Apollo]

That makes a lot of sense! I would just look away when my cham would stop chewing..
So that could mean that chams may think we were trying to get that nasty cricket they just tongue grabbed? ew!

Yeah, I don't want to eat those icky bugs. I'm proud of myself just handling the creepy things.

 

[Awesome Apollo]

marinates the cricket before digestion

Kinda like sitting in digestive spit to make them break down faster?

 

[Psychobunny]

marinates the cricket before digestion

Also, maybe give it a little extra time to quite struggling and die!!??