Reptile animal Panther Chameleon, do you know this animal ?

The panther chameleon is a reptile of the order Lizardidae. Body length 40 cm; crown wide and flat; The limbs are pincer-shaped; there are five toes on each leg, two of which are facing one side and the other three toes are facing the other side; the tongue is long and strong; The upper part of the face is thin and flat, covered with large scales. The body color can show various shades, such as green, red, emerald, etc.; there is a white belt-like stripe across the waist. 

Panther chameleons are found in Reunion Island, eastern and northern Madagascar. Inhabits areas with sparse trees or bushes. The sense of smell and hearing are underdeveloped, and the vision is sharp. Males are more active than females and will fight for territory when the breeding season begins. Feed on insects. Males may change their color or move their bodies to attract mates. After mating, the retained semen allows the female to lay two or more eggs in succession, with a gestation period of 3-6 weeks and a maximum of 10-40 eggs. 

The Panther Chameleon is one of the largest chameleons in the world, Its color changes are closely related to its mood. It will turn to light color when it feels hot, red when it is angry, and gray when it is afraid. The surprising thing is that each eye can rotate independently, so they can see nearly 360° of vision on both sides at the same time. 

Species introduction

English name: Panther chameleon;

Scientific name: Furcifer pardalis .

The panther chameleon has a variety of colors and a large body, with a total length of 40-56 cm. It is endemic to Madagascar and has introduced populations 

in Reunion Island and Mauritius . Leopard chameleons mainly live in humid lowland forests. They move very slowly and feed on insects. Their long tongues can hit prey within 50 centimeters in 0.03 seconds. Body color changes are used for communication, more like a signal light, and are affected by temperature, mood and lighting. They are highly territorial and are solitary except during mating season. Leopard chameleons in the wild live to be 2 years old.

Morphological characteristics

The adult male leopard chameleon has a snout-tail length (STL) of about 30~52cm and a weight of about 90~180g. Females are thinner than males, with snout and tail length generally no more than 33cm, and weight of about 90~120g. Body color changes frequently.

In addition to being larger in size, males also have a more pronounced casque than females. The males have a more obvious “shovel-like” horn-like protrusion at the tip of their snout that extends to both sides of the eyes. It is easier to distinguish between semi-adults and adults. The part where the male’s anus connects to the tail is more swollen. Young babies (those less than 3 to 4 months old) have not yet fully developed penises (hemipenis).

All male leopards have a white horizontal stripe on their tattoos. Most male leopards in different regions (locales) have obvious differences in color. They can be distinguished by the color of their bodies. Therefore, different leopard chameleons can be distinguished by their place of origin.

Female leopard chameleons are difficult to tell apart because they are almost the same color (especially when pregnant). Females are gray, brown or light green when calm. Some females also have a little blue, green and purple on their heads, with horizontal stripes. The vertical stripes are not very obvious. Normally, female leopards will turn pale orange to pink when they are suitable for breeding, but when they are pregnant or do not want to mate, their whole body will be dark brown to black. (black), the vertical stripes on the body turn into dark pink (bold pink) to dark orange (bold orange), and the horizontal stripes sometimes become obvious. Although all female leopards are similar in color, they still carry the ancestry of their regional colors

Habitat distribution

It is native to the warm and humid African island of Madagascar and is mainly distributed in the offshore lowlands and adjacent small islands in the north, northwest, northeast and east.

It inhabits native forests and mostly moves among the tree crowns. In the place of origin, due to the high altitude and proximity to the coastline , the average temperature in summer will be around 22 to 28 degrees Celsius, while the humidity will remain at a high level of 70% to 100% throughout the year.

Feeding habits

They like to eat insects (such as grasshoppers, crickets , worms, etc.), and can also be fed with vegetables, small lizards or mice. Since the types of food provided by humans are far less than those in the wild, nutritional powder is necessary to prevent malnutrition. There are many types of nutritional powder, such as calcium powder, probiotics , vitamins, etc. The amount used can be determined according to different situations. When using, a small amount of nutritional powder can be mixed in the food.

Reproduction characteristics

The female will dig a hole in the ground to lay eggs, with 12-46 eggs per litter. The eggs will hatch after 159-384 days, and the newly hatched larvae are about 55 mm long.

Life

Under proper breeding conditions, male chameleons have a lifespan of about 4-5 years. The lifespan of female chameleons is not long, and they usually die in 2-3 years, whether in captivity or in the wild. This has a lot to do with their egg laying.

Feeding and management

The method of raising Leopard Chameleon is similar to that of Crested Chameleon . It is easier to raise and is suitable for breeders without much experience.

Most leopard chameleons are upland types, so the temperature needs to be moderate. The best breeding box setting needs to be at least 60*40*100 (length, width and height, in centimeters). The temperature near the hot spot can reach 32~35 degrees Celsius, while away from the The cool area farthest from the hot spot has a temperature of about 24 degrees. At night, the ambient temperature can be reduced to about 18 to 22 degrees. This temperature difference between day and night can best adjust the physiological functions of 

the colorful chameleon . A large amount of water can be sprayed in the breeding box every morning and evening to provide the colorful chameleon with drinking water and the required humidity. A specialized water spray device that automatically sprays water mist at regular intervals is a more perfect method.

Natural sunlight is their best source of heat and UVB. About 8 hours of sunshine a day can keep them healthy. If natural sunshine cannot be provide, UVB light must be set.

Food

In terms of food, colorful chameleons can accept all moving insects and even birds and small mammals, but they must try to enrich the variety of feeds and change their recipes as frequently as possible, because chameleons can easily become bored with monotonous food types for a long time. Refusal to eat due to boredom.

Colorful chameleons are not very adaptable to human handling, so try not to catch them for play. Because they are very territorial, they are only suitable for being keep alone.

The eggs laid are place in an incubator and kept at a temperature of 26-28 degrees to hatch in about 8-10 months. It is a chameleon with a relatively short incubation period. Larvae can be raise in the same conditions as adults, except that the food and environment can be smaller. Discuss from different origins are often use to cross to produce special body color types, but this is not a biologically encourage practice.

protection level

It is a national second-level protect animal. This kind of animal is not only prohibit from sale, but also not suitable for residents to keep at home