Panther Chameleons
Difficulty
Intermediate/ Advanced
Size
12-18 inches (Female can be Half)
Life Span
8 Years
Diet
Insects
Humidity
Day: 60-70% Night: 100%
Temperament
Can be defensive
Temp
20-22⁰C (68-71.6⁰F)
HOT Spot
27-30⁰C (80-86⁰F)
Introduction
Buying any pet is a big decision, so there are several things you may want to consider first to make sure that a Panther Chameleon is the pet for you: • Are all the people in your household happy with a Panther Chameleon coming to live there? • Are you prepared to look after an animal that could live upwards of 8 years? • Is there someone that you can ask to look after your Panther Chameleon if you are away? • Are you happy to feed live insects to the Panther Chameleon and have these in your home? • Panther Chameleons as a species are not easy to handle and often don’t like leaving the safety of their setup (this is not always the case). Would you be okay with a Reptile that you cannot handle?
Equipment Needed
Housing
Terrainium or Vivarium
Heating
Basking Spot/Flood (12 hours on/off cycle)
Lighting
UV Tube (12 hours on/off cycle)
Substrate
Arcadia Earth Mix or Habistat Jungle Bio
Water
Dripper / Humidifier / Hand sprayer
Types
Panther Chameleons come in a variety of colours, these are called ‘locales’ – and the colour range is dictated by the region of Madagascar and their small local surrounding islands they inhabit.
Buying Panther Chameleons
- Check before buying:
- The Chameleon is feeding well?
- The Chameleon is healthy.
- 5 point animal health check:
- Make sure the Chameleon is alert and responsive
- The mouth should be clear of any mucus or sores
- The eyes should be open without any swelling or sores
- The Panther Chameleon should be able to easily climb/traverse/support itself throughout the enclosure using its limbs and tai
- The Panther Chameleon should be feeding without issues
Top tips
A humidifier will aid hydration when used at night - when all heat and light is turned off and the Chameleon is sleeping.Do not directly spray your Panther Chameleon when misting the enclosure. Even when shedding.Being arboreal (tree dwelling) they need the ability to climb and traverse within the setupMake sure they are not able to get close to the heat and UVB source. Have plants and foliage at a safe distance, and protective cages used around the heat bulb and UV.Housing
The following are perfect options of forever homes for your Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis).
Monkfield Vivarium, 24x18x36”
HabiStat Terrarium, 60x45x90”
Zoo Med ReptiBreeze (mesh), 60x60x120cm
Environment
Heating
As Panther Chameleons are ectothermic (cold-blooded), all their heating requirements come from an external source.
Heating - A Vivarium
A bright incandescent light/heat bulb is ideal to replicate the sun within your Vivarium – all controlled by a dimming thermostat. Mount the bulb, using a ceramic bulb holder, to the roof of the Vivarium. Use a heater-guard/cage over the bulb to provide protection and prevent injury to the Panther Chameleon. To safely regulate the temperatures the thermostat probe should be placed as close to the main basking area as possible, so the Panther Chameleon can’t lie on or touch it (as this would affect the
Heating – A Terrarium/Mesh
A bright white incandescent light/heat bulb is ideal to replicate the sun within your Terrarium/Mesh – all controlled by a dimming thermostat. Place the bulb on the mesh of the Terrarium/Mesh using a Reflector light dome with a ceramic holder. The heat bulb should always be used in conjunction with a Dimming thermostat. A thermostat is designed to regulate the temperatures within the setup by placing the thermostat probe in a suitable location. The power to the bulb will reduce (dim) once the set temperature is achieved within the setup to prevent the overheating. The bulb will then return to full power once the temperature has stabilised and it is safe to do so. To safely regulate the temperatures, the thermostat probe should be placed as close to the main basking area as possible, so the Panther Chameleon can’t lie on or touch it (as this would affect the readings)
Temperature and Monitoring
As a guide, a cool-end (bottom) temperature of 20-22⁰C (68-71.6⁰F) gives the Panther Chameleon a safe cool area to retreat if needed. The daytime Basking-zone/Hot-spot (top) should be around 27-30⁰C (80-86⁰F) Night-time temperatures should be 20-22⁰C (68-71.6⁰F) throughout, with all light and heat being turned off. Make sure temperatures are checked regularly to ensure there are no extreme fluctuations. Using a digital probe thermometer in the basking and cool end will help monitor these temperatures. Ensure the Panther Chameleon is not able to lie on the probe (as this would affect the readings). To achieve humidity levels of 60-70% throughout spray regularly throughout the day as well as including real plants, branches, and a soil-based substrate. The 100%-night humidity can be achieved via the use of a humidifier running after the lights have been off for an hour. Using a hygrometer will aid your ability to monitor the enclosure humidity.
Lighting
UV Lighting is required for the wellbeing of the Panther Chameleon. If a Terrarium or Cage/Mesh setup is used a stronger UV (12% T5) is recommended as the mesh filters out a percentage of the UV reaching. The reflected UV bulb can lie on the mesh. For a Vivarium, mounting the UV (6% T5) overhead is the best option. The UV tube should be at a safe distance to the closest point of the Chameleon. Using an Arcadia Lamp Guard Pro will also protect the UV from inquisitive Panther Chameleons.
Substrates and Decoration
Personal choice will dictate how to decorate the surface of your Terrarium/Mesh or Vivarium set up. The following is just a guide: Habistat Jungle Bio or Arcadia EarthMix will help with humidity levels and works well with real plants. Given that Panther Chameleons are an arboreal species (living in trees) the use of branches, vines, and plants are a must for decoration. A variety of branches throughout the enclosure criss-crossing from top to bottom provides a horizontal and vertical traversal providing a range of enrichment and heat/uv exposure options to the Panther Chameleon.
Diet and Water
Being insectivores, a varied insect diet is ideal. Young/juvenile Panthers eat daily and should be fed suitable sized insect feeders for around 5 minutes. Adults will eat twice or three times a week and should be fed with just a few suitably sized insects each time. For hydration, regular spraying of the enclosure once or twice daily will allow Panthers to take in water from the surrounding foliage. We also recommend running a dripper at a steady pace for a few hours daily to provide hydration. Recent research has discovered that Chameleons in fact hydrate by breathing in the humid and foggy air conditions while sleeping overnight in their natural environment.
Supplementation
Panther Chameleons do require additional supplementation within their diet to aid overall health. We recommend using a Calcium, magnesium, and multivitamin mix regime as needed.
Health & Hygiene
We recommend the following cleaning routine to keep your Panther Chameleon healthy and happy:
| Water | Substrate | Enclosure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | • Change water in dripper. • Empty any collected water • Daily Spraying | Spot clean | Check branches and plants for breakage and stability |
| Weekly | • Disinfect water dripper | Agitate substrate to prevent any bacterial build-up | Wipe down glass / mesh / walls with a reptile-safe disinfectant |
| Monthly | Full or partial substrate change | Wipe down the enclosure, and décor with a reptile-safe disinfectant |
Always wash your hands, surfaces and equipment with warm water and disinfectant immediately before and after handling or feeding your Panther Chameleon, their food, enclosure and any other equipment.
Additional Information
Panther Chameleons will shed their skin and this is based on age.
Younger Panthers under 6 months will shed almost weekly. This will become less frequent as they age with adults shedding only a few times a year.
During this process, they can be more temperamental – often going off food or becoming more defensive.
Chameleons as a species are not that keen on being handled and often don’t like leaving the safety of their setup. This is NOT always the case and does vary from species to species, and of course, Chameleon to Chameleon.
Female Panther Chameleons will lay eggs (even if no male contact has occurred). This process can start as early as 10 months old, but it’s generally not until 1 year plus and can even be as late 3 or 4 years old. A lay-bin must be provided, filled with a soil-based substrate like Habistat Jungle Bio or Arcadia EarthMix. This needs to be several inches deep and at least twice the length of the chameleon. Keep this soil damp so they can dig the burrow/hole needed in order to lay. Once finished, they will cover the eggs over and go back to basking. To aid recovery, offer a couple of calcium supplement dusted soft-bodied feeders and extra hydration options for the next few days
FAQs
Males can grow 12-18 inches. Females are often half the size of males.
We recommend using tweezers to place insects one at a time within the enclosure, thus allowing the Chameleon to hunt (remove any uneaten insects)
The general rule is the feeder insect should be no ‘wider’ that the space between the eyes. This is roughly the size of the throat so it minimises any choke risk. Just be sensible.
Chameleons in general are not really considered a beginner species due to the strict environmental condition requirements within their enclosure. They are generally known to be quite ‘enclosure defensive’, meaning they will puff up making themselves look bigger, hiss, and produce the occasional lunge as if attempting to deliver a bite. Although an actual bite is a rare occurrence It is mostly a threat display due to territorial nature. Any maintenance or husbandry could result in your Chameleon giving you attitude. This can be a case with the Panther Chameleon too. It is worth noting that the Panther Chameleon is known to be more ‘relaxed’ than the Veiled (Yemen) Chameleon for example. So, there is more of a chance the Panther Chameleon will let you get on with daily setup maintenance and even allow handling on their terms! Of course, this is not always the case every time. Every species has its moody days, but it will vary from Chameleon to Chameleon.
Yemen Chameleons can live up to 8 years in captivity.
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