Branch licker!

[Brodybreaux25]

I had a thread a few months ago on this, Roux does this every time he steps into a different branch.

Credit: Petr Necas

Chameleons lick branches

When exposed to new environment, chameleons sometimes lick off branches. It is so rarely observed phenomenon that to take a photo of it is almost impossible, especially in the wild (here a wild male F. pardalis in Ambilobe, Madagascar)...
It seems this behavior serves the vomerolfaction, same as in other squamates despite of the fact the function of the vomeronasal organ is considered vestigial and is poorly studied in chameleons.

 

[Tony_S]

I see Ezekiel (male) licking his vines/branches all the time. Peri (female) used to do the same thing.

Is it a way they mark their territory or a breadcrumb marker to where they have been before?

 

[JoXie411]

i remember a post a few months ago that Chris Anderson said they do it maybe to check if another chameleon has been there or not

 

[Kaizen]

All my new panthers do it, and only when moving to a new branch.

 

[AnamCara]

i remember a post a few months ago that Chris Anderson said they do it maybe to check if another chameleon has been there or not

That's my understanding -- to see/taste what's been in their path.

 

[nightanole]

After a cleaning ,its a sport around here, every branch must be licked.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Pretty sure this is the cham equivalent of dogs butt sniffing

 

[Kaizen]

Hmm

 

[Boygeorge27]

I see my panther chameleon do this but I never see my veiled chameleon do it

 

[Kaizen]

I see my panther chameleon do this but I never see my veiled chameleon do it

Me too! Have three veileds and three panthers, and it’s only the panthers than do it.

 

[Boygeorge27]

Me too! Have three veileds and three panthers, and it’s only the panthers than do it.

That is good to know I was thinking that there was something wrong, I have one panther and one veiled

 

[The Wild One]

After a cleaning ,its a sport around here, every branch must be licked.

whats the best time?

 

[nightanole]

whats the best time?

Id say about an hour to make a trip around the cage. It was fun when i had the fully planted 55 gallon, with anoles/geckos/treefrogs/skinks/etc. Every stick would get a salt water spray to keep mold down. "whats this stick taste like, whats this stick taste like, whats this other stick taste like." Even the tree frogs didnt mind the salt water spray, which i thought was a big odd.

 

[nightanole]

Me too! Have three veileds and three panthers, and it’s only the panthers than do it.

I think you may have stepped into something. My veild didnt do it, but my oust (same islands as panthers, and they interact) would do it constantly. Now we have to wait for other species owners to chime in. Are quads stick lickers or not?

 

[Kaizen]

I think you may have stepped into something. My veild didnt do it, but my oust (same islands as panthers, and they interact) would do it constantly. Now we have to wait for other species owners to chime in. Are quads stick lickers or not?

Nice catch! Hmm...other data points folks? Tangentially, you’ve kept ousties eh? I’d love to pick your brains sometime.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

stick lickers or not?

Quote of the day!

This behavior is almost exclusively an panther thing, specifically Nosey Bes for whatever reason. Never heard of veileds or montage species doing it but wouldn’t be shocked if they did...

 

[Brodybreaux25]

After a cleaning ,its a sport around here, every branch must be licked.

Which ones do you start with?

 

[kinyonga]

It's amazing that so many of us have seen such a rarely observed phenomenon! Does this mean we spend too much time watching our chameleons?

Panthers do seem to be one species that does it more than others. I've seen a quad do it too. That same quad would defecate immediately after I returned him to his clean cage too...wonder if that was for the same reason?

 

[Mansfield]

My panther does this often, multiple times a day. He even licked my hand once when I handled him.

 

[The Wild One]

My panther does this often, multiple times a day. He even licked my hand once when I handled him.

The closest I’ve been to getting licked by Coda, was when she missed during hand feeding, it felt like one of the stretchy sticky hands.