Caring for your panther chameleon
Housing:
Panther Chameleons generally need a large environment because they are one of the bigger types of chameleons. Since males are typically larger and more active than females, they require more space in their enclosure. The minimum cage size for a male is 48'' high by 24'' wide by 24'' deep. The smallest cage size for a female is 36'' high by 18'' wide by 18'' deep. Some people believe that this is too small for the females and a 48'' by 24'' by 24'' is much more suitable. Panther Chameleons love to climb high, so be sure that your enclosure provides the space necessary for them to climb vertically. You can get smaller cages for the babies, but make sure to upgrade the size as they grow. Also make sure that your chameleon's cage is well ventilated. To achieve this we use screen cages to provide lots of air flow. Please remember that bigger is better when it comes to enclosures for your Panther Chameleon. There is no size limit for the males or females. If you can afford a bigger cage, get it!
Lighting/Temperature:
The basking temperature for Panther Chameleons is 90 to100 degrees. Make sure they have a cooler spot of 70 to 80 degrees, in their enclosures so they can cool off if they need to. The average cage temperature should be somewhere between 80 and 85 degrees. To achieve the temperature in the basking spot, you should have a heat lamp above the enclosure. We recommend the Zoo Med Powersun UV Mercury Vapor Lamp (100 watts). This light should be kept on for 12 to 14 hours in the day. The main purpose of this lamp will be to provide your chameleon with heat during the day, light, and necessary UV rays. Another lamp that you should have to emit UV rays for your chameleon is the Zoo Med T8 ReptiSun 5.0 UVB Fluorescent Reptile Lamp. This lamp should also be kept on for 12 to 14 hours in the day. This lamp is extremely beneficial to the growth of your chameleon. Also, you should have a Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter Lamp (100 watts). If you live in a colder area we recommend keeping it on 24/7 to ensure that it stays warm enough for your chameleon. But if you live in a warmer area you may not have to keep the heat lamp on 24/7. Its different for everyone, just make sure that the temperature stays in the necessary range for your chameleon. Avoid using any bulbs that produce light during the night. This can effect the animal's sleep. During the night it is fine to have the temperatures drop to the lower 70's as long as it goes back up during the daytime and doesn't drop below 68 degrees. Do not let your chameleon get close to any of the bulbs because they can accidentally burn themselves. To avoid harming your animal, keep the higher branches 8 to 10 inches away from the lights. Another gadget that is needed to keep the correct temperature is a temperature gauge to make sure the enclosure stays at a safe temperature for your animal. If you have all of these bulbs and have them on for the correct lengths of time, the enclosure should stay at the temperatures your Panther Chameleon needs.
Humidity:
The humidity level for Panther Chameleons should be relatively high, ranging from 65% to 85%. You should have a mister that mists your enclosure 3 to 6 times a day for one to three minutes. The lower your misting frequency gets, the longer duration each misting should be. Misting is important in order to keep your chameleon hydrated, since they drink off of the drops on the leaves. If you can not get a automatic mister, it is all right to mist by hand. Just make sure that you mist the enclosure enough so it stays at the correct humidity. If you are using a spray bottle, mist your chameleon from the back so the water doesn't go directly into its eyes. It is also good to have another source of water, such as a reptile water fountain or a little dripper. Make sure the water is moving because chameleons do not recognize water that is still, therefore they will not drink out of a water bowl. Live plants can also help to keep the humidity level up in your enclosure. If you do decide to use live plants, make sure that they are safe for your chameleon. To ensure that your enclosure stays at the right humidity you should get a humidity gauge.
Furnishing:
The enclosure should be very decorative and have little to no blank spaces. The leaves should provide hiding places and a way for your chameleon to access everywhere in the cage. There should be branches and vines that are sturdy enough for your chameleon to rest on. You can also have a mix of fake plants and real plants. Panther Chameleons seem to be able to tell the difference between fake and real plants, so it is recommended that you have at least one real plant in their enclosure. Before putting a live plant in an enclosure, make sure to properly clean the plant to remove all of the harmful bacteria and pesticide. Lack of doing so can result in illness or even death of your chameleon. Before introducing a live plant into your enclosure, cover the soil with pebbles to block your feeder insects from digging tunnels and escaping from your chameleon. The bottom of the cage should not have dirt or soil for two reasons. The insects can hide from your chameleon, and it is a huge mess when you are cleaning the enclosure. Instead, it should have reptile carpet or paper towels. The paper towels should be changed every week to prevent mold. Clean your entire enclosure at least once every two months or as much as possible. Make sure to clean the ground of your chameleon's enclosure at least once a month or more to get rid of the droppings.
Food:
You should have a variety of food options for your chameleon. These options can consist of crickets, super worms, silk worms, meal worms, locusts, hissing cockroaches, butter worms, wax worms, horn worms, and many other insects. The general rule for the size of the feeder insect is to make sure that the food is no bigger than the width of your chameleon's head or the space in between your chameleons eyes. Also, the way to determine how much food your Panther Chameleon can eat is seeing how much it can eat in 10 to 15 minutes. In order to ensure that your chameleon gets the vitamins it needs, you should gut load the insects before you feed them to him or her. This means you need to give the insects vitamin-rich food such as potatoes, carrots, etc. You should also let the insects eat for at least 24 hours before offering them to your chameleon. Dusting the insects is another way you can get vitamins to your chameleon. Dusting is when you sprinkle a vitamin powder onto the insects prior to feeding them to your chameleon. We recommend dusting your insects with Zoo Med Repti Calcium without D3 every feeding, Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3 twice a month, and Repashy Super Foods Calcium Plus also twice a month. Whatever supplements you choose to fill these requirements, make sure that your chameleon is getting enough calcium. If there is a lack of calcium in their diet, they will develop Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) and it is possible that they will die. It is important to have a variety of food options for your chameleon because different insects have different nutrients.
Learn More
Please feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have regarding caring for your new panther chameleon!