hey all, cricket question here

[willow2415]

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?

 

[carol5208]

I have never had that happen. I have had them just flat out refuse to eat a certain food but never spit it out.

 

[dacrazycanadian]

Do you use supplementation on your crickets?

 

[SSimsswiSS]

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.

 

[VigilantSpearIII]

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.

 

[dacrazycanadian]

Yes like VigilantSpearIII above said, its probably supplementation that is bothering him or maybe hes bored with the gutload; try a new gutload.

 

[Garrett]

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

 

[Tanner Grisak]

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.

 

[willow2415]

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

 

[kinyonga]

It's recommended that you use a phos - free calcium powder at most feedings.