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Care sheet

Panther Chameleon

Furcifer pardalis

Chamaeleonidae · Squamata

AdvancedCITES IIIUCN LC
Activity
☀️ Diurnal
Temperament
Hands-off
Adult length
10–20 in
Lifespan (captivity)
5–7 yrs
Native range
Northern and eastern Madagascar (color varies by locale)

Care guide

Overview

Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) — a spectacularly colored Madagascan chameleon whose hue depends on locale. Like all chameleons it is a display animal: house singly, provide vertical planted space, UVB, and droplet hydration.

Environment

Climate

Cool side
72–80 °F
Warm side
80–85 °F
Basking spot
83–90 °F
Nighttime
62–70 °F
Humidity (ambient)
55–85%

Environment

UVB lighting

Required?
Yes — provide UVB
Fixture type
T5 HO
Replacement interval
Every 12 months

Housing

Enclosure

Orientation
Arboreal
Bioactive setup
Suitable
Minimum size by life stage
  • HatchlingNot specified
  • JuvenileNot specified
  • Adult2x2x4 ft screen/hybrid cage; heavily planted with branches

Housing

Substrate

Safe options
bioactive soil (planted)bare-bottom (drainage)
Avoid
loose particulate under feeding zonecedarpine

Nutrition

Diet & feeding

Dietary type
Insectivore
Feeding frequency by life stage
  • JuvenileDaily
  • AdultEvery other day
Supplementation

Calcium (no D3) most feedings; calcium+D3 and multivitamin lightly; strong UVB reduces D3 dependence.

Care

Water & behavior

Water

No standing bowl — hydrate via misting and/or a dripper; provide droplets on foliage.

Legal & ecology

Conservation

CITES
Appendix II
IUCN Red List
LC · Least Concern
Wild populations

CITES Appendix II. Locale (e.g. Ambilobe, Nosy Be) determines coloration. Solitary — house individually.

Citations

Sources

Every husbandry parameter on this page is backed by the references below. Click through to read the originals.

  1. Furcifer pardalis — species account

    Animal Diversity Web, U. Michigan

    academic

    Madagascar range, locale color variation, arboreal biology.

    Published: 2020-01-01

  2. Furcifer pardalis — IUCN Red List (LC)

    IUCN

    government

    Least Concern; CITES Appendix II.

    Published: 2019-01-01

  3. Panther Chameleon Care Sheet

    ReptiFiles (Mariah Healey)

    breeder community

    Cage size, planting, UVB, temps, misting/dripper hydration, supplementation.

    Published: 2022-01-01

Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) care sheet — Herpetoverse