Question
tongue
WHAT CAN I DO? MY CHAMELEON'S TONGUE IS HANGING OUT OF HIS MOUTH. IT LOOKS SWOLLEN AT THE TIP.. I NOTICE IT AFTER HE ATE SOME CRICKETS.
AnswerHi Jamie, Tongue problems, like the inability to retract it and infections are somewhat common with chams. There are two commonly speculated causes for the condition you are seeing. The ability of the tongue to shoot and retract depends on a structure called the hyoid bone along with a set of muscles. If there are issues with calcium deficiency the structure and shape of the hyoid bone can also be affected which in turn affects the tongue. In the couple situations that I have seen it started with the cham developing poor aim and reduced strike distance with the tongue. I don't know if it is just the photo but the front limbs of your cham. do look somewhat indented or crooked which would suggest that you are dealing with a calcium deficiency or metabolic bone disease. You may need to increase your supplementation.
Injury to the hyoid bone is the other possible cause and this can happen when the tongue unexpectedly strikes a hard surface such as glass. I noticed that your enclosure appears to be glass. Chams can sometimes get confused and attempt to strike something on the other side.
He is prone to dehydration and infection with his tongue out like that. Rinse it and see if you can temporarily place it back into his mouth. If you do not notice any improvement in his ability to control it then he may need it removed. You will likely need to see a vet in any case. Chameleons can survive quite well without their tongue, they simply resort to eating more like a "regular" lizard. He should be able to handle mealworms and silkworms by himself in that situation while you may need to handfeed him faster insects like crickets.
This link describes the tongue mechanism.
http://reptilis.net/lacertilia/chamaeleonidae/tongue.html
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