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How to tell what kinda of panther you have.

Ivey Jan 19, 2006 02:00 AM

Well i bought a panther chameleon. But it never told my what type of panther it actually is. How can I tell ?? what are the differences between them all ? Mines young still. 2.5 months. Lookin good sofar :D Any information on these panther u guys can tell me would help me out. Im still waiting to see if its a male or female :/ cant tell till it grows a bit more.

Also... latley it hasnt been eating properly, almost like its afraid of the crickets. There not to big. What might cause it to stop eating? I shouldnt say stopped cause i just havent seen it eat, probably eats when im not around lol.

I have a 6 month old vieled, so im used to seeing it eat all day long. Im kinda scared that my panther isnt eating much c ause somethings wrong, but it might be cause its young ?

Replies (8)

kinyonga Jan 30, 2006 03:46 PM

Here's one site that might help you figure out what kind of panther when its older. Its hard to tell what morph it is when its a baby...especially if it turns out to be a female. Even at a very young age, its possible to tell what sex it is by looking at the tail...but you need to know what you are looking for.
http://adcham.com/html/taxonomy/pardalismorphs.html

kinyonga Jan 30, 2006 03:55 PM

Here's a site that gives you some information about the morphs and the care of panther chameleons.
http://adcham.com/html/taxonomy/species/fpardalis.html

Its unusual for such a young panther not to be eating well. They are usually good eaters. Is it getting enough water? Have you tried feeding it something besides crickets (like small waxworms)? You said the crickets are not too big...they should be the size that fits comfortably into the chameleon's mouth. Can you not count the crickets left in its cage to see how many its eaten or even if it has eaten?

Is it showing any signs of illness (sunken eyes, eyes shut most of the day, inactive, etc.)?

Could you describe your setup (lighting, temps, etc.) please?
Also, do you gutload the crickets and dust them (if so with what?)?

Hopefully its really eating and you just haven't noticed.

Ivey Jan 31, 2006 01:05 AM

Hes doing just fine now, and think you for the info im going to that website as we speak :D Hes eating, drinking and full of energy. However he has come down with what i think is mouth rot. Small signs of it. Im going to try and solve it myself, if not going to the vet soon. Other than that hes awsome. Eats like a pig.

I gut load my crickets with apples, lettuce, carrot cricket diet n other juicy fruits n veggies. Lightings fine, however i might have the heat bulb to hot. Going to tweak that later tomorrow.

Im gonna check those sites ill let u know what i find out.

kinyonga Jan 31, 2006 02:55 PM

I'm glad to hear that your chameleon is eating now.

In almost all cases of mouth rot that I have known, if the area isn't cleaned out properly (the usually cottage-cheesy pus removed...and when it involves the mouth usually it can't be squeezed out) and if a culture isn't taken to determine the bacteria and the chameleon isn't put on antibiotics, the mouth rot will usually return and can get into the chameleon's system.

There is a good gutload on ADCHAM.

You didn't say what the temperatures of the cage are, if you have UV light or not or if you dust/supplement the insects, etc.

I hope the sites will be helpful!

Ivey Feb 02, 2006 02:17 AM

Dusting most of my crickets. UVA reptibulb 8.0 n 75 watt heat bulb. Mist 5 times a day. Temps are 85.6 and hum is 30% right now unmisted. Usually about 60% when misted or more.

kinyonga Feb 02, 2006 10:15 AM

You said..."dusting most of my crickets"...with what? They should be dusted with calcium, calcium/D3 (when not kept in sunlight), and vitamin/mineral powders on a regular schedule, IMHO. Most of the time, I use Rep-Cal products for this. For adult panthers I dust with vitamin powder once or twice a month, calcium/D3 twice a month, and calcium once or twice a week. I also gutload all my insects. ADCHAM has a good gutload on its site.

You said "UVA reptibulb 8.0 n 75 watt heat bulb"..I mainly use Reptisun 5.0's and no separate UVA source and an incandescent bulb of sufficient wattage to have the basking area at the right temperature (high 80's F. for panthers).

You said..."Mist 5 times a day. Temps are 85.6 and hum is 30% right now unmisted. Usually about 60% when misted or more"..this sounds fine. Do you also use a dripper? Hydration is important in chameleons, so the more opportunites they have to drink, the better their chances are. The right temperature is important so that the chameleon can digest its food properly. Humidity is often less important as long as hydration is well done.

Ivey Feb 02, 2006 01:31 PM

Ya hes well hydrated. He drinks a lot for a little guy.Im usuing Calcium dust by T-Rex. Im going to go buy the same product your using after this runs out.

kinyonga Feb 03, 2006 09:25 PM

I didn't mean to imply that what I use is the best or the only kind to buy...its just what I have used and had good luck with.

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