Panther Chameleons (Chameleo [furcifer] Pardalis) are medium sized chameleon found on the
Island of Madagascar where majority of the world's chameleon species are found. They are known for being very hardy and one of the easier species
to keep successfully in captivity, thus making them ideal for first time chameleon keepers. In addition, they are arguably
one of the most colorful of all chameleon species with many different color phases available (see
What you should know). However, I would caution against impulse buying as there are many aspects to their care that makes them suited only for
dedicated herpers. Madagascar is the 4th largest Island the world at 225,000 square miles (as large as Texas) and it encompasses
many climactic variations. Along the Western coast (Nosy Be, Ambanja, etc), it may rain as much as 120 inches per year and
the Eastern coast (Tamatave, Sambava, etc.) may get as little as 15 inches of rain per year. In most publications regarding
the care of Panther Chameleons, they do not differentiate the particular needs between various location/color phases. Would
you care for an animal such as an Ambanja, accustomed to receiving 120" of rain per year in the same way as a Sambava, accustomed
to only receiving 15" of rain? Would some one living on the coast of Southern California care for his Panther in the same
way as some one living on the prairies of Montana? I think not! The point I am trying to make is that there may be more than
one way to care for these animals correctly. What works for one person may not work for another. What I am offering here are
some very basic guidelines that has worked for me and you will need to modify them to suit your particular needs in order
to adequately care for your animals. Do as much reading and research as possible to arm yourself with knowledge to make keeping
this beautiful species a success.
