Is it normal for a Panther Chameleon to not use it's tongue when it doesn't have to?

[Thatwizard420]

So I used to free range his food in his enclosure, he would hunt them down like a normal chameleon using his tongue.

I bought that feeder from our sponsor, the magnetic one. Now he just goes up to his food in the feeder and grabs them with his mouth.

But, when I hand feed or free range feed, he uses tongue. Is that Normal behavior?

He is 7 months old

 

[ERKleRose]

He doesn't use his tongue at all, just mouths the feeders? You can always move the feeder further away so he's forced to use his tongue

 

[DonKeesh]

They will always take the path of least resistance just like us. I would put the feeder cup further away where he has to shoot and see how that works. You can also control release the feeders and see if that gets him more engaged. If you want to see him really shoot his tongue get a wild feeder like a grasshopper or something he isn't used to getting and he should have a very aggressive feeding response.

 

[Thatwizard420]

He doesn't use his tongue at all, just mouths the feeders? You can always move the feeder further away so he's forced to use his tongue

No if he has to use it he will use it. As when I free range feeders.. But he doesn't use his tongue when they're in his feeder cup/ledge. He just goes and chomps them away.

 

[Multivitamins]

My 3 year old panther take the easy route and gets as close to the food as possible. I see him use his tongue for flies but for anything on a branch or in his cup or cage he just gets close to snag them without firing the tongue. I try to move things further and he will just stretch and try to lean towards them.