ANIMAL: Panther Chameleon Furcifer pardalis Type of Animal: Chameleon Habitat: Tropical forest, lowland degraded scrub, well-vegetated roadsides, plantations, littoral forest, dry forest, riparian areas, transitional forest, deciduous forest, scrub forest, coastal areas, forest openings Location(s): N & NE Madagascar & introduced to Reunion & Mauritius Appearance: Like many chameleons, able to change colors affected by temp/mood/light. Males more colorful & larger than females. Males in NW Madagascar & island of Nosy Be vibrant blue, blue-green, or turquoise, N Madagascar males red, green, or orange, NE Madagascar males red, males in far NW vivid pink w/ yellowish white stripe along flanks. Females tan or brown w/ hints of pink, peach, or bright orange, very long tongue, females dark brown, black, uniform gray, or faint green w/ orange striping when gravid (carrying eggs), receptive females pale/vivid orange or pink. Juveniles duller in coloration. Males have more noticeable casque/helmet. Food/Diet: Crickets, worms, insect larvae, roaches, stick insects, flies, mantids, moths, butterflies, locusts, katydids, dragonflies, grasshoppers, greens, leaves Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding from zoos, private breeders, & aquariums Lifestyle: Solitary Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young-Hatchling Group-Solitary Weight: Male-4.93-6.34 oz Female-2.11-3.5 oz Young-1 oz Gestation: 3-6 weeks Life Span: Females 2-3 years, males 3-7 years Body Length: Male-1-1.5 ft Female-0.83-1.16 ft Tail Length: 2.5 in Main predators are snakes, birds, & Malagasy carnivores (such as fossa). Males extremely territorial & will fight to the death w/ other males. Females have shorter lives due to strain of egg laying. Some populations breed all year round while others breed from October-March. Sexually mature at 6-7 months old. Females lay up to 8 clutches in a lifetime. Courtship rituals can be quite elaborate. Fun Fact(s): Tongues sometimes longer than their body-great for catching invertebrates. Their tongue hits their prey at 1/18 of a second. Have amazing eyesight, being able to see small insects from 30 ft away. Like many chameleons, they don’t like to be handled often.
