What is he doing?

[Zilla23]

What the heck is he doing? At first I thought he was drinking water but he keeps biting this vine and will literally shake his head, should I be concerned? Is he trying to eat it?? I thought panthers didn’t eat vegetation I’ve never seen him do this.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

He’s sticking his tongue out so he’s trying to eat it.
Please fill out the “how to ask for help” form and post your answers back here. Quality pictures will help us help you.

Chameleon Info:
◦Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
◦Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
◦Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
◦Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
◦Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
◦Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
◦History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
◦Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
◦Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
◦Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
◦Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
◦Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
◦Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
◦Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:
1The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2Photos can be very helpful.

 

[Zilla23]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male Ambilobe Panther, 4-5 months, I have had him four weeks
• Handling - Rarely, he eats from my hand but only got on my hand twice.
• Feeding - Mainly crickets, (he hasn't taken to BSFL yet) he eats a couple of hornworms a week and a few superworms a week, papaya, mango and watercress for crickets
• Supplements - ZooMed Repti-Calcium without D3 every feeding, Zoo Med Repti-Calcium With D3 every other week, Reptivite with D3 every other week (alternating from the Repti-Calcium with D3)
• Watering - Mist King on a schedule of: 8:00 a.m. 2 minutes, Noon 5 minutes, 3:00 2 minutes, 6:00 p.m. 2 minutes, he does drink from the leaves and the drops on the screen
• Fecal Description - not tested for parasites yet, consistent bowel movements, very white urates and solid feces
• History - none

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - 18x18x36 Reptibreeze screen cage (I am already preparing upgrade to 24x24x48)
• Lighting - ZooMed Repti Basking spot light 75 watt, Zoo Med Reptisun 5.0 UVB T8
• Temperature - Basking varies from 80-85 (although he seems to want it hotter, he gets as close as he can to top) , lower part of cage is around 72
• Humidity - I have two hygrometers one near the top, one near the bottom, average of about 60%, I have a humidifier that I run at night next to cage, I have front and one side of cage covered with plastic shelf liner.
• Plants -All live plants, pothos, schefflera and draeceana (sp)
• Placement - cage is on top of a cabinet, top is about 5' high, it is in a corner, near a window, I have covered the air vent so as not to create a draft.
• Location - Central Alabama, United States

Current Problem : he just started biting this fake vine today (in video above), has been doing it off and on most of the day, this is the first time I have seen him do this.

 

[Zilla23]

He’s sticking his tongue out so he’s trying to eat it.
Please fill out the “how to ask for help” form and post your answers back here. Quality pictures will help us help you.

Chameleon Info:
◦Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
◦Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
◦Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
◦Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
◦Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
◦Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
◦History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
◦Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
◦Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
◦Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
◦Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
◦Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
◦Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
◦Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:
1The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2Photos can be very helpful.

I filled this out below.

 

[Multivitamins]

That does seem strange, does he explored the bottom of the enclosure at all? Has he tried to eat any non food items other than the vine? Has he shot his tounge at anything or just gnawing?

Had he had a good amount of food before this happening might he be hungry?

 

[jamest0o0]

This is common among younger Panthers IME with them. For whatever reason they'll bite branches, vines, and my one loved dead crunchy leaves. In all 4 Panthers I've had they stopped doing this around a year old.

 

[Zilla23]

That does seem strange, does he explored the bottom of the enclosure at all? Has he tried to eat any non food items other than the vine? Has he shot his tounge at anything or just gnawing?

Had he had a good amount of food before this happening might he be hungry?

He never goes to the bottom of the cage, he had about 12 crickets, two horn worms and three super worms today, but he eats like a HORSE ! he has not gnawed on anything else, just this one vine, I am more worried since it is artificial about him ingested anything bad if he manages to get any pieces off of it.

 

[Zilla23]

This is common among younger Panthers IME with them. For whatever reason they'll bite branches, vines, and my one loved dead crunchy leaves. In all 4 Panthers I've had they stopped doing this around a year old.

Awesome!! This is good to know, kind of freaked me out .

 

[Graves923]

Probably just taste testing. I know veiled are known to try and eat anything they can bite which is definitely the case with my veiled. Never really heard of Panthers doing it though but I doesn't surprise me lol

 

[Brodybreaux25]

My Nosy Be will do it to his branches from time to time...

 

[James&Monet]

Monet (Ripley's brother) does the same thing! Though, I have moss covered vines and he will tug and rip at the moss and eat it, little bits at a time. He has been doing this since I got him and so far hasn't had any complications. I just assume he wants his greens... which is frustrating because I try to feed him organic kale, but he doesn't know what it is... just another plant to him.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Monet (Ripley's brother) does the same thing! Though, I have moss covered vines and he will tug and rip at the moss and eat it, little bits at a time. He has been doing this since I got him and so far hasn't had any complications. I just assume he wants his greens... which is frustrating because I try to feed him organic kale, but he doesn't know what it is... just another plant to him.

.... organic kale, I don’t blame him!

 

[James&Monet]

.... organic kale, I don’t blame him!

I also tried feeding him yams, apples and kiwi but he doesn't know its food. He just walks right by it.

 

[jamest0o0]

Panthers won't eat that. They might munch at something like a branch or I'm sure on the very rare occasion somebody got theirs to eat a piece of fruit/vegetable, but to me it seems more like a dog chewing on random objects than part of their natural diet.