hey all, cricket question here

willow2415

New Member
hey CF,
I have a panther chameleon whose favorite food source is crickets. I feed my Cham everyday but recently he is grabbing the cricket, chewing and then spitting out the cricket. I haven't changed any of my gut loading or anything.
Is this common?
 
I have never had that happen. I have had them just flat out refuse to eat a certain food but never spit it out.
 
hey CF,
I have a panther chameleon whose favorite food source is crickets. I feed my Cham everyday but recently he is grabbing the cricket, chewing and then spitting out the cricket. I haven't changed any of my gut loading or anything.
Is this common?

Un-common.
 
This has happened quite a few times to my chams. They will catch the cricket, crunch it around a little bit, then spit the sucker out like tobacco chew. It happens when the cricket is over powdered with supplement. I consider it like having a mouth full of powdery chalk, it would be very uncomfortable.

In rare cases it has also happened when they are eating crickets without supplement though...In those cases I have always wondered if its possible that the cricket might be biting the chameleon as a last ditch effort to survive.
 
Yes like VigilantSpearIII above said, its probably supplementation that is bothering him or maybe hes bored with the gutload; try a new gutload.
 
This can also happen if the chameleon has a mouth sore or abscess.
The chewing can be painful and they drop or spit out the insect. I would double check the inside of his mouth just to be on the safe side;)
 
This can also happen if the chameleon has a mouth sore or abscess.
The chewing can be painful and they drop or spit out the insect. I would double check the inside of his mouth just to be on the safe side;)

Yep! When my panther had a little mouth rub he got from rubbing the wire mesh he was doing this. Now that it's all healed up he has completely stopped spitting out food.
 
Thank you all very much for the input. it can't be the supplements cause I don't use one every day, and he does it every day. I'm going to check his mouth. how do I get him to open his mouth, do I have to pry it open?
I can see him not liking that lol
 
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