Panther Chameleon

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.