Baby chameleon ate urate???

[cordonwade]

Hey everyone, I just observed the strangest thing. I was feeding my baby T. j. jacksonii's this morning, and after cycling through all of their individual cages, I decided to sit down and watch them hunt for a little. I noticed one of my little guys was targeting something, but I didn't notice any crickets around where he was looking. All of a sudden, he shot one of his own urates, and began chewing it, and subsequently swallowed it. He didn't even spit it out! Does anyone know why this might have happened/may have experienced something similar?

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I would say he mistook it for a bug. Not unheard of. Some threads in the archives.
https://www.google.com/search?q=cha...hUKEwjjobXExc7vAhUEwFkKHVcMAUkQrQIoBHoECAYQBQ

 

[cordonwade]

I would say he mistook it for a bug. Not unheard of. Some threads in the archives.
https://www.google.com/search?q=cha...hUKEwjjobXExc7vAhUEwFkKHVcMAUkQrQIoBHoECAYQBQ

That seems to be the most logical explanation. I know urine is sterile, so I assume there won't be any issues. Definitely took me by surprise though!

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Just the same, I clean excreta off of plants as soon as I see it.
My panther has never gone to the floor, so I sometimes leave that for the weekend.

OTOH, bearded dragon gets cleaned up immediately! P-U!