Eating Skin?

[Swayne8998]

My buddy has been going through some serious shedding today and has been trying to eat his plastic plants and pretty much everything. So a big piece of his skin fell off while he was on the prowl and he ate it. Is that okay? Did he think it was a leaf and ate it? Do they regularly do this? My leo gecko does, I've never heard of these guys doing it...

 

[camaleonte82]

...weird...

 

[Swayne8998]

I just want to see if that's healthy for him...? Leopard geckos do it I know to get vitamins from the old skin... this is the first time I've seen him do it...

 

[DavidBuchan]

My guys have never done this (that I know of...) but it does happen quite often. Theories include that shed skin everywhere would alert predators to the presence of a lizard so it covers their tracks so to speak. Also maybe there is some nutritional value. Maybe they just like the taste or texture
Either way, normal and nothing to worry about.

 

[carol5208]

I don't know if it is healthy but it is ok and some of them will do it. I would be a little concerned though if he were to break off one of the plastic leaves and swallow one. Maybe you should think about moving them out of the cage.

 

[camaleonte82]

i don't think he meant to eat his skin. probably thought it was a bug or leaf like you said. never heard of a cham eating their own skin. and as far as being ok for him. not sure. never thought about it before.

 

[carol5208]

i don't think he meant to eat his skin. probably thought it was a bug or leaf like you said. never heard of a cham eating their own skin. and as far as being ok for him. not sure. never thought about it before.

yes, they do eat their own skin when they shed. Not all do, but some will.

 

[Swayne8998]

Thanks for the replies! Yep some geckos (I don't know about other lizards though) will eat their skin to get nutrients from it. He doesn't really bite or get aggressive with the plastic leaves... He tries to lick it up close and nothing happens. It might get in his mouth a little but He loves those things and climbing on them to get up high.

 

[Swayne8998]

Some more info...He ate it right after it fell off. Like 5 seconds didn't pass... He was trying to eat a watch (why...?) and a piece about the size of slightly bigger than a quarter fell off and he looked at it and ate it. It came off his casque.

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

...weird...

It's really not weird. We hear a lot on the forums about chameleons that eat their skin, though we don't really know why. Most theories are that it alerts predators, some have said it has nutrients, though that I doubt.

 

[BocaJan]

Every once in awhile I have seen one of my chams do that too. I asked the same question and someone said it had calcium in it. Who knows, but perhaps it had something in it that they needed, or they were just curious about this thing. It won't hurt them and will offer some minerals. Seems like I have read it from people with younger chams and doesn't happen often. Bottom line is you don't have to worry about it.

 

[Swayne8998]

Every once in awhile I have seen one of my chams do that too. I asked the same question and someone said it had calcium in it. Who knows, but perhaps it had something in it that they needed, or they were just curious about this thing. It won't hurt them and will offer some minerals. Seems like I have read it from people with younger chams and doesn't happen often. Bottom line is you don't have to worry about it.

Thanks I've never seen him do that. He was sort of trying to eat everything at that moment so I don't know if he really was intending to consume his skin or not...Lol

 

[Kmw]

They do it often, I heard that it gains some of the nutrients lost from shedding back.

 

[Elizadolots]

As noted, it's not uncommon at all. I'm of the "it's a defense mechanism" side of the discussion. Nothing says "hey, there's a lizard around here I could eat" more clearly than a big hunk of shed skin.