Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm a newbie in chameleon but i would like to get a panther ASAP because I'm very very interested in them! I read a lot about them these few weeks and learned quite a lot too...
erm...when i'm lookin at panther's pics...i noticed that not all of them have the big chin thingy...do all panther have the big chin?

Are you talking about the puffiness under their chin when you say "the big chin thingy"? They can expand and contract the throat area. Also, some get edema from incorrect supplementation which causes that area to be "swollen".

Here are some good sites that you might like to read...
http://adcham.com/html/taxonomy/species/fpardalis.html
http://www.chameleonnews.com/
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/skintests.htm
http://www.anapsid.org/gehrman2.html
"It has been demonstrated that UVA can influence agonistic, reproductive, and signaling behaviors in some species of lizards (Gehrmann, 1994A) as well as inhibit growth in female panther chameleons, Chamaeleo pardalis (Ferguson, et al., 1996)."

Are you going to get a male or female?

yeah got that...thanks...i think veiled chams have that too...

I want to get a male panther because of the striking colour they have...any difference in caring of male and female? Hope to get a pair of 'em...haha...and breed them in the future...but i think the process of breeding is quite expensive too right?

You said..."i think veiled chams have that too"...have what too?

You said..."I want to get a male panther because of the striking colour they have...any difference in caring of male and female?"...males can be striking for sure! The main difference between males and females is the egglaying (of course). I don't recommend breeding them before they are full grown and over 1 year old. If the husbandry is good and an appropriate place is provided for her to dig to lay the eggs, there are usually no egglaying problems...but once in a while a female might have a "physical" problem (deformed eggs, fused eggs, reproductive tract deformity, etc.)that can result in eggbinding. Controlling the diet of a female at the appropriate times in her cycle can help reduce the size of the clutches and should help her to live longer.

You said..."Hope to get a pair of 'em...haha...and breed them in the future...but i think the process of breeding is quite expensive too right?"...you need containers to put the eggs in, vermiculite to lay the eggs on, and maybe an incubator (depending on what climate you live in). You also need cages and lights and food and supplements. (Hope I didn't miss anything.)

i mean the veiled also have the puffle chin...

erm...is a baby panther suitable for beginner? i mean...will it be any problem if i follow the right way? i never want to make my first cham die young...hehe...

the place that i live in is around 75F - 90F...and it's high in humidity...do u think is better if i place my cham outdoor? for better sunlight...

Hey i got a panther 2 months ago and he is doing great. I had a panther a few years ago. They are very hardy just like the veiled chameleons. I purchased mine from chameleonsonly.com. Ed and Liddy own it. Their website is very educational and they have a beautiful selection in their breeding colony. They also sponser kingsnake.com and I have had great success with their babies. If you want a panther go get one, but first read up on husbandry requirements and living conditions, feeding, etc. You can keep them outdoors but make sure its not too hot. I live in Florida. I can keep my lizard outside now in a screened enclosure, but in the summer when it gets over 100 degrees with the humidity, he is not outside. Due to the humidity, the lizard wouldnt not be able to cool off so not a good idea. Go find a reputable breeder and enjoy your lizard. Like I said go check out chameleonsonly.com and look around. Panthers are quite expensive. Unline veiled chameleons, its hard to find a low wholesale price so petshops dont usually carry them. If you have anyquestions, feel free to send me a private message with your email address and any questions you may have

that's the sad part...i'm not from US...i'm from Malaysia...if i order from them...it will certainly cost me a bomb! hehe...well i'm just going to ask around in my country...hope i can find some reputatable breeders too...anyway thanks!

can anyone give me a list of what to get before i take a panther home? it would be greatly appreciate!

You said..."i mean the veiled also have the puffle chin"...sometimes they do.

You askde..."erm...is a baby panther suitable for beginner? i mean...will it be any problem if i follow the right way? i never want to make my first cham die young...hehe"...I would advise you to get one that is at least several months old. There is a natural mortality....a certain percentage of them will die when they are really young, but once they are past several months of age, the rate of death drops considerably. I would advise that you get a male over a female too....they live longer and you don't have to worry about the egglaying process. Female panthers can lay eggs even when they aren't mated...so they need a place to be provided in the cage for them to dig in to show you that they are ready to lay eggs.

You said..."the place that i live in is around 75F - 90F...and it's high in humidity...do u think is better if i place my cham outdoor? for better sunlight"...sunlight is definitely better for them than artificial UVB/light. You just need to make sure that they can get out of the sun...so provide some shade for them. You will likely have to mist/water one more often if its outside on the hot days too.

Do you know about gutloading the insects? Supplements?

You asked what you need before you bring the chameleon home...
You need a mesh/screen cage, a non-toxic plant that you have washed well (both sides of the leaves), some branches of the appropriate size for the chameleon's feet to grip, and a sprayer/misting bottle. You also need phosphorous-free calcium powder (insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phos. so this is intended to balance it), vitamin powder that the vitamin A source is beta carotene (vitamin A from preformed sources can build up in the system, but beta carotene can't).

If he's kept inside, then you will need a full-spectrum/UVB light and an incandescent light in a hood for a basking light. If he is never outdoors, then you will need a calcium/D3 powder too. Vitamin D3 from supplements can build up in the system but from sunlight it can't. (Any light/sunlight cannot pass through glass or plastic.)

Here are some sites with good information that you might like to read...
http://adcham.com/html/taxonomy/species/fpardalis.html
http://adcham.com/
http://www.chameleonnews.com/