Have you ever noticed chameleons eat their shed skin? If you have, it must be a weird experience watching that. Makes it feel a little like cannibalism doesn’t it? So as weird as it may seem, why do chameleons eat their shed skin?
Chameleons eat dead skin is because they are opportunistic eats who eat anything they can find for sustenance. That being said, there are several other reasons why they do this. It is perfectly normal though so don’t panic.
It may be gross to you that a living thing would eat their own skin. However, for animals, it is just another typical Tuesday. It’s a weird thing to see but there are logical reasons behind why they do it. Read on if you find it interesting and would like to know more.
What Makes A Chameleon Eat Its Shed Skin?
Several things go through a chameleon’s mind when it eats its shed skin. It could range from instinct to sustenance but really… you can’t pinpoint anything since you can’t read their thoughts. Let’s look into some of the reasons why a chameleon would eat its shed skin.
The Chameleon Is Hungry
Chameleons are omnivores. This means that they eat almost anything they can find when they are hungry. Omnivores are also called opportunistic eaters by the scientific community.
They will take every opportunity they can when looking to replenish themselves, regardless of what they are putting in their mouths.
This benefits an omnivore as they will have to worry less about being hungry. Chameleons can find food at any time of the year and at any place as they will eat anything that is available.
Knowing that chameleons would eat their own babies, you shouldn’t be surprised to know that your chameleon is eating its own shed skin.
The Chameleon Is Replenishing Itself
Shedding is a very uncomfortable process. When a creature is shedding, it tends to lose a lot of vitamins and minerals as they renew their whole body’s worth of skin.
Just imagine that you had to throw away your own skin from head to toe and quickly replace it with a fresh one. Gross… but did you know that the skin is one of the largest organs in a living being’s biology.
If you see a chameleon eating their own shed skin, it’s simply just trying to recover a few nutrients that it has lost during the process.
Seems like chameleons take “you are what you eat” to a whole new level don’t you think?
The Chameleon Is Removing Evidence Of Itself
Animals in the wild are very dangerous. Just as a chameleon is quick to hunt down and eat their prey, they are always in danger of being hunted and eaten as well.
Chameleons are very careful and meticulous animals when it comes to survival. They move in slow and bouncy movements to mimic leaves blowing in the wind. This way, they will blend in with their surroundings better.
Imagine all that hard work being destroyed as a predator just simply finds evidence of a chameleon nearby by the husk of an old skin lying around.
For that reason, a chameleon will eat its own skin just to make sure that predators won’t be aware of its existence. They will do almost anything to avoid conflict.
The Chameleon Is Just Trying To Speed Up The Process
As previously mentioned, shedding is a very uncomfortable process. It’s a very frustrating process as well. Picture being unable to scratch at an itch on your back that you can’t reach.
Now take it a step further by having the itch go on for a few days. You would want to make the itch go away as soon as possible wouldn’t you?
Though I wouldn’t say that it’s particularly painful, shedding is still quite stressful for them. Some chameleons are known to hiss and gape in anger as they try to remove bits and pieces of their skin off themselves.
Chameleons Making Their Bait
Other than using their tongues, chameleons have another way to catch their prey, which is using a self-made bait.
To make this bait, chameleons need to collect their shed skin and food into a secret pouch in their mouth.
After that, they will leave them in there to rot, which produces a waxy bait that insects are very attracted to.
In this case, chameleons are actually not eating the shed skin, they are just collecting them and storing it in the pouch in their mouth.
If you ever find that your chameleon stinky, this is the main cause for it.
Is It Safe For Chameleons To Eat Their Own Shed Skin?
It is incredibly disgusting for any creature to eat their own skin, but I know what you are thinking. Is it safe for them to be eating it though? The quick answer is yes but it depends on the age of the skin as well.
Fresh Shed Skin
When freshly peeling, their skin is perfectly safe for them to eat. It even has a few nutrients in it as mentioned previously.
There is absolutely nothing to worry about if you see your chameleon eating its own skin unless the skin has been there for some time.
Old Shed Skin
Skin that has been left around for some time has a chance to cultivate bacteria. If your chameleon happens to eat any of this skin, the bacteria will attack your chameleon’s digestive system.
Not only will old skin have bacteria grow on it, making it a hazard to eat, but it will also infect the new and vulnerable skin under it.
However, this is very unlikely. Your chameleon will most likely just eat the shed skin as soon as it starts peeling. The only time you need to worry about this is if the skin doesn’t peel off and gets stuck on them.
You can prevent this by removing the skin with a damp and warm cotton bud. Don’t use your fingers though as you may harm it.
If you suspect that your chameleon might be infected due to dead skin, bring it to a vet for a check-up right away.
Is It Normal For A Chameleon To Eat Its Own Shed Skin?
With all that said, is eating shed skin a normal behavior for chameleons though?
It seems gross and all but I can assure you that this is a very normal and common thing among chameleons.
As previously mentioned, chameleons are opportunistic eaters who just eat anything they can find. It doesn’t go through their mind that what they are eating is their own skin.
To them, it’s just another way to sustain themselves. Chameleons would go as far as being cannibals, eating their own shed skin isn’t that big of a deal.
Conclusion
Chameleons may eat their shed skin for numerous reasons ranging from hunger, nourishment, survival, to convenience. Moreover, shed skin is perfectly safe to eat unless it has been left out for some time.
If you see that your chameleon has a little leftover skin that should have been shed, try to remove it before they eat it. Unshed old skin is very harmful to a chameleon. So, be wary of it and know what to do when you spot it.
Other than that, just know that it is perfectly normal for a chameleon to eat its own shed skin. The next time you see this happening, think of your chameleon as eating a very hearty meal, yum!
