Chameleon food…including leaves, fruits, etc.

[kinyonga]

24 Furcifer oustaleti were tested to see if they preferred eating a horsefly over some tiny fruits…13 ate both…
https://www.madcham.de/en/chamaeleonfutter/


“Fruit Feeding Behavior of a Chameleon Furcifer oustaleti:Comparison with Insect Foraging TacticsAuthor”…
https://protectedareas.mg/pdf-viewe...c85a9cee/d2e86aa5ccd0472598f68385e83454f1.pdf

 

[nightanole]

Well, we have seen videos of veileds eating fruit by using the full length of the tongue, which i found weird, since all of mine just ate like beardies.

I believe one field report stated they switch to fruits when the dry season hits and they run out of bugs.

 

[kinyonga]

For a long time now, I’ve felt that they eat leaves, fruit at times for particular reasons…like when they are having digestive issues, or maybe as roughage or as an attempt at parasite control or any number of other reasons….just like many other animals do. It’s an area that needs proper studies to be done on it to see if the real reasons can be determined.

I’ve noticed over many years that female veileds will strip a pothos plant bare when they are gravid and yet not touch it when they are not gravid. They will also eat sand when they are close to egg laying time but not at other times…are they maybe looking for calcium?

It’s definitely an area IMHO, that needs to be studied to find out the reasons rather than us giving hypotheses.

You might find these interesting…
Animals that self-medicate…
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1419966111

Zoopharmacognosy: the study of how animals self-medicate…​

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/s...how-animals-self-medicate/article68533058.ece​

When monkeys use the forest as a pharmacy…​

https://theconversation.com/when-monkeys-use-the-forest-as-a-pharmacy-190944

6 Natural Medicines (Maybe) Used by Animals…​

https://nerdfighteria.info/v/Anq-_kmhe_U/

 

[MzLaurie]

24 Furcifer oustaleti were tested to see if they preferred eating a horsefly over some tiny fruits…13 ate both…
https://www.madcham.de/en/chamaeleonfutter/


“Fruit Feeding Behavior of a Chameleon Furcifer oustaleti:Comparison with Insect Foraging TacticsAuthor”…
https://protectedareas.mg/pdf-viewe...c85a9cee/d2e86aa5ccd0472598f68385e83454f1.pdf

What a great find. Totally loved the research. Brings up many questions and validated many things. Thank you!

 

[kinyonga]

What a great find. Totally loved the research. Brings up many questions and validated many things. Thank you!

I’m always glad to post whatever I find. Glad you liked it!