help identify

This is my flapneck, can you help identify the species of flapneck that he is. I was told he was more rare with the blue that he displays on his lobes

Sorry I cant answer your question but he is NICEE!!!!!

Wow, that is a beauty! If I remember correctly, this group came from Malawi. If from the southern highlands it would be Chamaeleo dilepis isabellinus or Chamaeleo dilepis "isabellinus form," depending on who you ask. The photos I have of that taxa have similar patterns but are not as colorful.

WOW!!! That is one stunning flapper!!!!!

Very good looking fella

Thankyou his blue also goes to purple , his greens go yellow & his stripe goes pink...He is also a very sweet cham. When we got him he was shy & just liked to be left alone but now that we have handled him he likes to sit in your hand

very nice cham

Don't know too much about the differences between the dilepis-like species, but I find this animal has rather large occipital lobes. The photo's I have of Ch. dilepis isabellinus show animals with smaller lobes. My guess would be dilepis dilepis. By the way, I wouldn't be too sure your chameleon is a "he". Male dilepis have a tarsal spur on their hind feet. Did you get your cham from a wildcaught shipment? Wouldn't surprise me if you'd have a pregnant female...

Ferdy Timmerman said:

Don't know too much about the differences between the dilepis-like species, but I find this animal has rather large occipital lobes. The photo's I have of Ch. dilepis isabellinus show animals with smaller lobes. My guess would be dilepis dilepis. By the way, I wouldn't be too sure your chameleon is a "he". Male dilepis have a tarsal spur on their hind feet. Did you get your cham from a wildcaught shipment? Wouldn't surprise me if you'd have a pregnant female...

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i agree, looks like a she thats very gravid

I agree to with him being a female. I didnt see any tarsal spurs. I would have to say female as well. and she is beautiful too by the way. great colours

Aww Ginger of all the people who would not be thrilled to have a gravid female. Check to see if she has spurs and let us know. I will be hoping for you that the people who know are wrong this time.

Oh dear, Ginger! Looks like you may have your first female. She does look quite female in the body shape department in those pics. Males of all species tend to be longer bodied. What a bargain though, eh?! If Rigley is a girl then you will have lots of chameleons for the price of one! Sounds brilliant to me, lol!

I was told at the time of purchase that since this was one of a more rare type flapneck that he doesn't have heel spurs along with the blue lobes. I was also told by 3 other people that it was male & 1 of them happened to be a very respected reptile vet that happened to be at the show.He/she has not been doing any digging but I guess time will tell

Ah, well, if he's one of the rarer flappies, then maybe they differ as far as spurs go. It would be so exciting to have babies though Ginger! I don't know anything at all about them, I didn't know there were different types!

I'm not 100% sure. Like I said, I don't know all the differences between the dilepis like (sub)species. I've never kept any of them, so I have to judge based on photo's and information I find in reliable books, and compare that to two photo's of an unknown animal.
It's true that sexual dimorphism differs between (sub)species, so no tarsal spurs doesn't have to mean it is definetely not a male. Maybe someone with more dilepis-knowledge can take a look at your photo's
By the way, in Tilbury's Chameleons of Africa (2010), there are photo's of dilepis "angusticoronatus" and dilepis isabellinus that have blue lobes, and there's also a photo with another dilepis with blue lobes, but there's no name other than Chamaeleo dilepis below that photo. Could be the 'normal' form.

I'd be happy with this animal anyway. I don't think I've ever seen a better looking dilepis!

Forgot to mention that the animal in the photo seems to lack hemipenal bulges on the tail base. Another indication of it being a female. Maybe you could try to gently palpate her belly in order to check if she(?) indeed has eggs?

I am happy either way...Rigley is a sweet cham & I did palpate but felt nothing

This is really difficult and based on any literature I've read I wouldn't dear to even guess which subspecies this is. Do you have any clue from which country this animal was imported.

I have to agree with Ferdy that this animal looks more as a female. It's true that their are several subspecies where males don't have spurs. But normally males do have a hemipenal buldge and this one is really lacking.

Although I can't give you and advise 1 thing is sure this is a beautiful specimen!

Ginger, Beautiful and unique what ever sex it turns out to be!

Thanks Carol but like I said before I am sure its a male.I have very reliable sources with experience in flaps & really all I wanted to know was the subspecies but it seems like whenever you come on the forum with a concern or question there is always too many other opinions that make you second guess what you believe.