Can/do panther chameleons swim?

Electric

New Member
Apparently so:

http://www.de-kvn.nl/forum/viewtopi...&start=0&sid=59cb90fe035622b76fc97d1015759755 (make sure to scroll all the way down the page)

Don't know if this has been seen or not but I just came across this while looking around a german(i think) forum for the hell of it. My jaw dropped when I saw it, I had no idea they could do that (appart from a thread not too long ago showing a pic of a rare/uncommon species that dives underwater)...if anyone knows the language and can read it please share with us what is being said by the poster!

hopefully this won't encourage anyone to test it out in a bath tub or pool, do so at your own risk lol
 
whoa!!!!
this is amazing.
the subtitle in the photo means "him swimming in the river"
(i think)..:D
 
wow, at first I thought it was just drowning in style, but then seeing the rest it looks like it actaully chooses to go swimming to get places, cool.
 
whoa!!!!
this is amazing.
the subtitle in the photo means "him swimming in the river"
(i think)..:D

Very close! It means: "Here swimming in our pond"

Further down Luc mentions that it only takes a few seconds for the chameleon to cross their 12 ft wide pond and that his swimming style is much like that of an aligator, but that he also uses his front legs.
 
Steve from Sticky tongue farms told me abotu some montium or quads (can't remember whichit was) swimming across a small pond. They had a massive greenhouse, filled with chameleons. In it were some ponds. A trioceros species fell in, and in front of him, swam right across, very quickly. he used his tail, back and forth.

Chameleons float pretty well, it's the control issue that's a problem.

I couldn't see something like a parsonii or deremensis moving quickly enough to go anywhere...
 
I've never understood why everyone was so sure they can't swim well, especially considering the known, documented cases of Calumma hillensuisi and C. gastrotaenia doing so. There is a huge difference between swimming well enough to cross standing or even slow moving water and being able to forge moving waterways or even withstand prolonged swimming periods. I would not be surprised at all to see parsonii or deremensis do it either. I've had my parsonii whip me with their tail when I've administered medication. They are fully capable of fast movement, even when going after food items, if they choose to do so and you really do not have to laterally undulate rapidly to be a competent swimmer, especially in standing water. Great photos of this behavior though!

Chris
 
As if they weren't amazing enough.

Any theories on why an arboreal animal would have had to develop this skill?

soo many specialized traits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I am sure they can swim, I was just makign a joke about them being slow. Deremensis are better jumpers than most chameleons - especially since you THINK they're just going to sit still...

I've seen a parsonii float. Was being showered in a bathtub, and it climbed down and swam to the other branch. Kinda cool. More plesiosaur like swimming than mosasaur (paddles vs. tail)
 
The owner of that ambanja says

"Our pond is 1.70 meter deeply and exists from 2 in each other overflowing parts.
He swims these smoothly and this in a record tempo.
The pond is nevertheless approx. 4 meters breedt but and this confiscates some seconden. "

And this is his answer to why it swims

"The chameleon suck themselves full with air and continue this way float.
He uses the zwemstijl of a crocodile where the rear links-rechtse make a movement.
The 2 voorpoten go rapidly from both sides.

As last I want warn everyone, however, explicitly that this phenomenon is for this reason not obvious at the your Chameleon.
Then this happened this loose in a heat golf, therefore days already some above 30?C and pond water already some had been well warmed up days.
Please therefore onmiddelijk your complete crowd chameleons in your pond or bath-tub to tumble to if see that also can swim. "
 
Well, I guess this puts an end to this argument! It makes total sense to me that an arboreal animal could and would absolutely have to learn to swim. Im sure during fights or missteps they would from time to time fall into standing water or have to forge small bodies of water during fires or for breeding purposes. Neat pics. David
 
I don't know if all computer can do this but, highlight the text, right click on your mouse, and go to where it says page info, and go to translate page in english. It does a pretty good job. It doesn't work on all the words, but you get the meaning.
 
Great set of photos!
I had never seen anything like that. I assumed a chameleon might have a good chance of reaching shore if it fell from some overhanging branch, but I never imagined this kind of behavior.

thanks for sharing :)
 
Great set of photos!
I had never seen anything like that. I assumed a chameleon might have a good chance of reaching shore if it fell from some overhanging branch, but I never imagined this kind of behavior.

thanks for sharing :)
It seems like instead of just being able to survive a fall and getting to shore, they actuall enjoy or at least don't mind at all taking to water. It just shows how much we still have to learn about these animals
 
If you look at the last picture in the set you'll see the water ripples left by it's tail. It looks like it was going at a fairly good clip.
 
in this science textbook i have it refers to their abilities to swim as inferior capabilities, something of survival and natural adaptation.
 
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