"The chameleon Furcifer oustaleti (Mocquard, 1894) consume plant parts using different mechanism of collection if compared with animal prey. The capture of arthropods occurs through the projection of his tongue, while the consumption of fruit, for example, takes place by direct collection of the jaws. The mechanism indicates that the individuals identify the food item before consuming them and, since there is no need to capture vegetables items, the chameleons opt for direct collection, saving energy spent on the tongue projection"...
https://www.intechopen.com/books/herbivores/herbivory-by-lizards
Very interesting about cellulose digestion...("Plant tissues are more difficult to digest than invertebrates due to the presence of cellulose"). I've wondered for years if gutloading with veggies, greens and such will really benefit all species of chameleons. That's part of the reason I usually say to feed/gutload the insects well...I've always been aiming at the insects being well fed to be healthy and figuring that there might be some use to the chameleons when they eat the insect too...but never had any proof of it.
https://www.intechopen.com/books/herbivores/herbivory-by-lizards
Very interesting about cellulose digestion...("Plant tissues are more difficult to digest than invertebrates due to the presence of cellulose"). I've wondered for years if gutloading with veggies, greens and such will really benefit all species of chameleons. That's part of the reason I usually say to feed/gutload the insects well...I've always been aiming at the insects being well fed to be healthy and figuring that there might be some use to the chameleons when they eat the insect too...but never had any proof of it.
