PLEASE NOTE
The information on the BambooZoo site is as much as 10 years old and in the hobby much has been learned. Though, I believe there is merit in keeping the site open. There are many controversial issues presented in these pages. Please view BambooZoo as a starting point in your research.
These beings are as complicated as we are and deserve more than a basic 5 paragraph care sheet to maintain their health and well being.
My passions have evolved. This is is the site I am growing today. We Heal the World
The information on the BambooZoo site is as much as 10 years old and in the hobby much has been learned. Though, I believe there is merit in keeping the site open. There are many controversial issues presented in these pages. Please view BambooZoo as a starting point in your research.
These beings are as complicated as we are and deserve more than a basic 5 paragraph care sheet to maintain their health and well being.
My passions have evolved. This is is the site I am growing today. We Heal the World
PANTHER CHAMELEON CARE
Written by: HarryO
www.chromachameleons.com
ENVIRONMENT
The care of any chameleon requires consistent and vigilant attention. This need not be an intimidating or ominous task. It requires research and dedication. If you know what is required and you are able to tend your chameleon on a daily basis, then you have the makings of successful chameleon husbandry. A Panther Chameleons environment consists of a few key elements. Caging, Heat and Light, Interior furnishings, water, food and supplementation.
CAGING
A cage is a simple item. It contains your chameleon and its food. It provides a home that gives your chameleon a sense of security. Each Panther chameleon needs its own cage. Males and Females should be visually isolated from each other or distanced at least 10’ apart.
Screen cages are recommended. They allow for ventilation and allow for an easier time of establishing temperature gradients. Substrates are not required. If you insist on using a substrate, consider the possibility of your chameleon ingesting it. Then, consider safe substrates, such as coco fibre.
Bigger is better, but there are acceptable minimum sizes. For females, it is recommended to provide a minimum cage measuring 16"x16"x30". For males, the recommendation is 24"x24"x36".
LIGHT
Regarding light, your Chameleon requires a source of UVB light. It can be obtained from direct sunlight in the summer months, but definitely requires an artificial source for winter months. You should provide light for 11-14 hours per day.
A note on UVB light. Regardless of the source, UVB light can not penetrate glass, some plastics and will be diminished as it passes through screens and other mesh.
Your UVB source should be placed on top of the cage, at a distance of 4" – 6" from the chameleon’s perch. Placement of the fixture should be overtop and not down the sides of the cage. The chameleon should have the ability to avoid the UVB source, when it has had enough exposure. Simply descending down into the cage is sufficient.
Recommended UVB source is Zoomed’s Reptisun 5.0 UVB linear tube. It is highly recommended that you avoid the use of mercury vapour bulbs or compact fluorescent bulbs.
HEAT
Your chameleon requires a graduated heat strata from the cages bottom to the top. This is easily achieved by ambient room temperature producing the lowest temperature and a dome light fixture with an appropriate incandescent bulb at the top of the cage, producing the highest temperature. Select the wattage of household incandescent bulb that achieves the desired temperature.
Temperatures during daytime hours should be mid 70Fs to 90F. Temperatures at night are fine if they don’t drop below the low 60Fs. Otherwise consider a ceramic heat source in a dome fixture. Avoid providing heat at night, with a light bulb producing visible white light. This will confuse the chameleons day/night cycle.
www.chromachameleons.com
ENVIRONMENT
The care of any chameleon requires consistent and vigilant attention. This need not be an intimidating or ominous task. It requires research and dedication. If you know what is required and you are able to tend your chameleon on a daily basis, then you have the makings of successful chameleon husbandry. A Panther Chameleons environment consists of a few key elements. Caging, Heat and Light, Interior furnishings, water, food and supplementation.
CAGING
A cage is a simple item. It contains your chameleon and its food. It provides a home that gives your chameleon a sense of security. Each Panther chameleon needs its own cage. Males and Females should be visually isolated from each other or distanced at least 10’ apart.
Screen cages are recommended. They allow for ventilation and allow for an easier time of establishing temperature gradients. Substrates are not required. If you insist on using a substrate, consider the possibility of your chameleon ingesting it. Then, consider safe substrates, such as coco fibre.
Bigger is better, but there are acceptable minimum sizes. For females, it is recommended to provide a minimum cage measuring 16"x16"x30". For males, the recommendation is 24"x24"x36".
LIGHT
Regarding light, your Chameleon requires a source of UVB light. It can be obtained from direct sunlight in the summer months, but definitely requires an artificial source for winter months. You should provide light for 11-14 hours per day.
A note on UVB light. Regardless of the source, UVB light can not penetrate glass, some plastics and will be diminished as it passes through screens and other mesh.
Your UVB source should be placed on top of the cage, at a distance of 4" – 6" from the chameleon’s perch. Placement of the fixture should be overtop and not down the sides of the cage. The chameleon should have the ability to avoid the UVB source, when it has had enough exposure. Simply descending down into the cage is sufficient.
Recommended UVB source is Zoomed’s Reptisun 5.0 UVB linear tube. It is highly recommended that you avoid the use of mercury vapour bulbs or compact fluorescent bulbs.
HEAT
Your chameleon requires a graduated heat strata from the cages bottom to the top. This is easily achieved by ambient room temperature producing the lowest temperature and a dome light fixture with an appropriate incandescent bulb at the top of the cage, producing the highest temperature. Select the wattage of household incandescent bulb that achieves the desired temperature.
Temperatures during daytime hours should be mid 70Fs to 90F. Temperatures at night are fine if they don’t drop below the low 60Fs. Otherwise consider a ceramic heat source in a dome fixture. Avoid providing heat at night, with a light bulb producing visible white light. This will confuse the chameleons day/night cycle.
INTERIOR FURNISHINGS
Some items are necessary to accommodate your chameleon’s well being. Others are aesthetic or indulgent. There is nothing wrong with spoiling your chameleon, as long as you have the basics covered.
Every chameleon environment needs foliage. It provides hiding places and security. A calm happy Chameleon will live longer and be much healthier than a constantly stressed out chameleon. As a side note, placing your chameleons cage in a low traffic area of your house and placing it as high up as reasonably possible also aids in a stress free environment.
Foliage can consist of artificial vines, silk or plastic plants and a live plant or two. Live plants should be washed off with dish soap when first purchased to remove any pesticide residue from the plant. Repotting in organic soil is also required to prevent the chameleon from ingesting perlite, vermiculite, pesticides or fertilisers.
Recommended plant species are Schefflera Abricloa (Umbrella plant), Ficus Benjamina (Benji Tree) or Pothos.
Situate the elements so that your chameleon has places to hide and places to perch at different levels within the cage.
As mentioned before, substrates are not necessary, but if you insist, consider safe substrates such as coco fibre. Also be certain that the substrate will sufficiently dry out between mistings.
Some items are necessary to accommodate your chameleon’s well being. Others are aesthetic or indulgent. There is nothing wrong with spoiling your chameleon, as long as you have the basics covered.
Every chameleon environment needs foliage. It provides hiding places and security. A calm happy Chameleon will live longer and be much healthier than a constantly stressed out chameleon. As a side note, placing your chameleons cage in a low traffic area of your house and placing it as high up as reasonably possible also aids in a stress free environment.
Foliage can consist of artificial vines, silk or plastic plants and a live plant or two. Live plants should be washed off with dish soap when first purchased to remove any pesticide residue from the plant. Repotting in organic soil is also required to prevent the chameleon from ingesting perlite, vermiculite, pesticides or fertilisers.
Recommended plant species are Schefflera Abricloa (Umbrella plant), Ficus Benjamina (Benji Tree) or Pothos.
Situate the elements so that your chameleon has places to hide and places to perch at different levels within the cage.
As mentioned before, substrates are not necessary, but if you insist, consider safe substrates such as coco fibre. Also be certain that the substrate will sufficiently dry out between mistings.
WATER
Water… sounds simple; it is.
Chameleons need water. They need it for general hydration and they need it to flush their kidneys. They need it every day.
Chameleons drink from dripping water, so an old yoghurt container or any plastic container can be used as a dripper. Simply poke a hole in the bottom and fill it with room temperature water. It should drip onto leaves or other interior furnishings and should run at least 3 – 5 minutes at a time. Twice daily would be optimal.
Also a cheap hand mister is useful to provide a mist. This should be repeated at least 3 times daily, allowing for drying periods in between.
Avoid waterfalls or pumped fountain fixtures in the cage. They are breeding grounds for bacteria.
FOOD
Many types of food are available. Crickets represent the most easily gutloaded insect and they are very available year round. Gutloads can include oatmeal flakes, fish food flakes, raw potato, raw carrot sparingly, a variety of greens and /or commercially available gutload formulations. Spinach and broccoli should be avoided.
Do not feed more than your chameleon can consume daily.
Other feeder insects that are useful are silkworms, butterworms, hornworms, phoenix worms, and superworms.
ChromaChameleons highly recommends sourcing your feeders from feederfactory.ca. Contact them regarding delivery availability in your area.
Water… sounds simple; it is.
Chameleons need water. They need it for general hydration and they need it to flush their kidneys. They need it every day.
Chameleons drink from dripping water, so an old yoghurt container or any plastic container can be used as a dripper. Simply poke a hole in the bottom and fill it with room temperature water. It should drip onto leaves or other interior furnishings and should run at least 3 – 5 minutes at a time. Twice daily would be optimal.
Also a cheap hand mister is useful to provide a mist. This should be repeated at least 3 times daily, allowing for drying periods in between.
Avoid waterfalls or pumped fountain fixtures in the cage. They are breeding grounds for bacteria.
FOOD
Many types of food are available. Crickets represent the most easily gutloaded insect and they are very available year round. Gutloads can include oatmeal flakes, fish food flakes, raw potato, raw carrot sparingly, a variety of greens and /or commercially available gutload formulations. Spinach and broccoli should be avoided.
Do not feed more than your chameleon can consume daily.
Other feeder insects that are useful are silkworms, butterworms, hornworms, phoenix worms, and superworms.
ChromaChameleons highly recommends sourcing your feeders from feederfactory.ca. Contact them regarding delivery availability in your area.
SUPPLEMENTS
Many products are available on the market these days. Several supplements are available as an all-in-one formulation, to be dusted on the feeder insects daily. These are fine products, but they do not allow for "tweaking " or adjusting single components within the formula.
It is recommended that you consider the following supplementation regime. Supplements used are: RepCal fine Calcium, RepCal Calcium with D3, RepCal Herptivite, Minerall O and 10,000IU Vitamin A gel caps or fish food flakes containing Vitamin A as a gutload for feeders.
Within a single month, it is recommended to dust crickets as follows:
Calcium with D3 once a month (twice a month for gravid females or babies)
Calcium (without D3) twice a week or 8 times per month.
Herptivite once a month (twice for gravid females and babies)
MinerallO once a month (twice for gravid females or babies)
Vitamin A… can be provided through gutloading crickets with fish food flakes containing Vit A
Or
Vitamin A can be provided by placing a tiny drop of Vit A from a Vit A gel cap on the back of a feeder insect and feeding it to your chameleon. Be advised that it is severely harmful to overdose Vit A. A gel cap contains 10,000 IU of Vitamin A of which you are attempting to administer 200-300 IU to your chameleon, once a month.
Many products are available on the market these days. Several supplements are available as an all-in-one formulation, to be dusted on the feeder insects daily. These are fine products, but they do not allow for "tweaking " or adjusting single components within the formula.
It is recommended that you consider the following supplementation regime. Supplements used are: RepCal fine Calcium, RepCal Calcium with D3, RepCal Herptivite, Minerall O and 10,000IU Vitamin A gel caps or fish food flakes containing Vitamin A as a gutload for feeders.
Within a single month, it is recommended to dust crickets as follows:
Calcium with D3 once a month (twice a month for gravid females or babies)
Calcium (without D3) twice a week or 8 times per month.
Herptivite once a month (twice for gravid females and babies)
MinerallO once a month (twice for gravid females or babies)
Vitamin A… can be provided through gutloading crickets with fish food flakes containing Vit A
Or
Vitamin A can be provided by placing a tiny drop of Vit A from a Vit A gel cap on the back of a feeder insect and feeding it to your chameleon. Be advised that it is severely harmful to overdose Vit A. A gel cap contains 10,000 IU of Vitamin A of which you are attempting to administer 200-300 IU to your chameleon, once a month.
OBSERVATION
Also care includes that you observe your chameleon for signs of health issues that may occur from time to time.
The most common health issue is dehydration. A chameleon may become dehydrated for a variety of reasons. Signs are yellow or brown urates, sunken eye turrets, boneyness in the tail, spine or limbs, and dry or wrinkled skin.
Debris in the eye turret is common also. Providing an increase misting can aid the chameleon to flush the debris out.
Edema is often seen as swelling around the neck.
Parasites can be introduced via feeders, although this is rare. Captive bred (CB) chameleons represent a parasite free reptile to start with. Wild caught (WC) chameleons on the other hand, have a high probability of parasites and will require vet visits and medication to rid them. Signs of parasites are visible worms in the stool, lethargy, increased drinking, increased eating, but weight loss occurring also.
Also care includes that you observe your chameleon for signs of health issues that may occur from time to time.
The most common health issue is dehydration. A chameleon may become dehydrated for a variety of reasons. Signs are yellow or brown urates, sunken eye turrets, boneyness in the tail, spine or limbs, and dry or wrinkled skin.
Debris in the eye turret is common also. Providing an increase misting can aid the chameleon to flush the debris out.
Edema is often seen as swelling around the neck.
Parasites can be introduced via feeders, although this is rare. Captive bred (CB) chameleons represent a parasite free reptile to start with. Wild caught (WC) chameleons on the other hand, have a high probability of parasites and will require vet visits and medication to rid them. Signs of parasites are visible worms in the stool, lethargy, increased drinking, increased eating, but weight loss occurring also.
FEMALE PANTHER CHAMELEON CARE
There is a pervasive opinion among reptile enthusiasts, that female chameleons present insurmountable issues as to their husbandry and survivability. This care sheet is directed specifically towards the concerns regarding raising female Panther chameleons and discusses husbandry above and beyond the generic general care of chameleons, as can be found on a good care sheet.
Female chameleons present a fabulous opportunity to care for a wonderful pet and should not present concerns that difficult issues are inevitable. Female chameleons have great personalities and temperaments that are quite separate from males. As a keeper, I have always favoured my females, as they seem much more introspective and congenial.
Females at birth are similar to males; virtually indistinguishable from each other. They can be housed together, assuming they are provided with ample water, food and basking opportunities. Also the assumption is that there are no "frontrunners" within the clutch that are growing far beyond their clutchmates and that there are no overly aggressive individuals in the community. Overly large, aggressive or under sized individuals may require removal to separate quarters.
At the age of 3-4 months, aggression and stress become factors. It is at this time that they should be housed individually. At this age, males can become sexually active and start to harass the female juveniles.
As the females get older, they will become sexually mature. This can occur anywhere from 6- 15 months of age. Typically it falls around the 10-month mark. Your female needs to be caged separately and visually isolated from any males in the room. Close visual proximity, to a male, can trigger your female to produce an infertile clutch.
It is important to regulate the supplementation and food quantity to your female at this time. Overfeeding and over supplementation can bring on egg production. Overly warm conditions can also create the optimum conditions for egg production.
If your female should, for one reason or another, become gravid, take note of the date. She may signal being gravid by changing her colouration to a dark or black appearance. Typically, females will need additional food and calcium throughout their gestation. Calcium with the addition of D3 is necessary for egg production and eventually for contractions while laying the eggs. Gestation takes approximately 23 – 35 days. Provide your female with a pot of damp soil in her cage. If the cage is small, use a small pot. Have a larger bin with damp soil available to move her in, if the pot inside the cage is not big enough. As the lay date comes closer she may begin to roam near the bottom of the cage. She may stop eating for several days. She may start test holes in the potted plants or the laying pot that you have provided. Eventually she will dig a final hole, lay her eggs, and then cover up the hole. It is very important that you not observe her digging. If you discover her secret place, and she sees you , she may abandon the hole.
Once she is completely done covering her hole, you can remove the pot from the cage, or remove her from the bin. Start with watering her. You can then try a cricket or two. Females may eat immediately or take a day to start up again. Supplement heavily with calcium for a few days, them back to normal.
In summary, avoid egg production by , visually isolating your female from any males, keep temperatures moderate, do not over feed, do not over supplement, keep a laying pot in the cage at all times just in case, and implement the correct husbandry if your female should possibly become gravid.
Egg production is a natural occurrence and is not to be confused with a dire deadly situation. If you know what to expect and provide the few simple extra requirements, it will be a simple event and everything will be back to normal in no time.
There is a pervasive opinion among reptile enthusiasts, that female chameleons present insurmountable issues as to their husbandry and survivability. This care sheet is directed specifically towards the concerns regarding raising female Panther chameleons and discusses husbandry above and beyond the generic general care of chameleons, as can be found on a good care sheet.
Female chameleons present a fabulous opportunity to care for a wonderful pet and should not present concerns that difficult issues are inevitable. Female chameleons have great personalities and temperaments that are quite separate from males. As a keeper, I have always favoured my females, as they seem much more introspective and congenial.
Females at birth are similar to males; virtually indistinguishable from each other. They can be housed together, assuming they are provided with ample water, food and basking opportunities. Also the assumption is that there are no "frontrunners" within the clutch that are growing far beyond their clutchmates and that there are no overly aggressive individuals in the community. Overly large, aggressive or under sized individuals may require removal to separate quarters.
At the age of 3-4 months, aggression and stress become factors. It is at this time that they should be housed individually. At this age, males can become sexually active and start to harass the female juveniles.
As the females get older, they will become sexually mature. This can occur anywhere from 6- 15 months of age. Typically it falls around the 10-month mark. Your female needs to be caged separately and visually isolated from any males in the room. Close visual proximity, to a male, can trigger your female to produce an infertile clutch.
It is important to regulate the supplementation and food quantity to your female at this time. Overfeeding and over supplementation can bring on egg production. Overly warm conditions can also create the optimum conditions for egg production.
If your female should, for one reason or another, become gravid, take note of the date. She may signal being gravid by changing her colouration to a dark or black appearance. Typically, females will need additional food and calcium throughout their gestation. Calcium with the addition of D3 is necessary for egg production and eventually for contractions while laying the eggs. Gestation takes approximately 23 – 35 days. Provide your female with a pot of damp soil in her cage. If the cage is small, use a small pot. Have a larger bin with damp soil available to move her in, if the pot inside the cage is not big enough. As the lay date comes closer she may begin to roam near the bottom of the cage. She may stop eating for several days. She may start test holes in the potted plants or the laying pot that you have provided. Eventually she will dig a final hole, lay her eggs, and then cover up the hole. It is very important that you not observe her digging. If you discover her secret place, and she sees you , she may abandon the hole.
Once she is completely done covering her hole, you can remove the pot from the cage, or remove her from the bin. Start with watering her. You can then try a cricket or two. Females may eat immediately or take a day to start up again. Supplement heavily with calcium for a few days, them back to normal.
In summary, avoid egg production by , visually isolating your female from any males, keep temperatures moderate, do not over feed, do not over supplement, keep a laying pot in the cage at all times just in case, and implement the correct husbandry if your female should possibly become gravid.
Egg production is a natural occurrence and is not to be confused with a dire deadly situation. If you know what to expect and provide the few simple extra requirements, it will be a simple event and everything will be back to normal in no time.
ATTENTION
All materials in this care sheet are Copyright © 2008 Chroma Chameleons
All materials in this care sheet are Copyright © 2008 Chroma Chameleons
Our sincerest gratitude, from myself and the visitors to the Bamboozoo.
Visit Harry at:
www.chromachameleons.com
Visit Harry at:
www.chromachameleons.com
With appreciation expressed to the many participating in building this site.HOME
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