https://www.intechopen.com/books/herbivores/herbivory-by-lizards
"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".
If they are adjusting their method of ingesting the food from shooting the tongue out to capture an insect to direct collection for vegetation, etc then it's intentional...so what drives them to eat vegetation etc...hydration, need for nutrients, some other reason? Veiled females often strip pothos plants bare when gravid...why?
Does the length of the digestive system differ from the ones that do eat vegetation, etc to the ones that don't?
Do the digestive systems of the "omnivore" chameleons contain different enzymes or bacteria to digest the vegetation, etc?
"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".
If they are adjusting their method of ingesting the food from shooting the tongue out to capture an insect to direct collection for vegetation, etc then it's intentional...so what drives them to eat vegetation etc...hydration, need for nutrients, some other reason? Veiled females often strip pothos plants bare when gravid...why?
Does the length of the digestive system differ from the ones that do eat vegetation, etc to the ones that don't?
Do the digestive systems of the "omnivore" chameleons contain different enzymes or bacteria to digest the vegetation, etc?
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