Checking Out Males

[theresaintucson]

What do you all look for when choosing a male panther baby? I was looking at some photos of males on line and I honestly don't know how I'd choose one! Do you look for vivid colors even if the cham is at rest? Should the bars and stripes be distinct? Or is it even possible to know at a few months of age that a particular cham is going to be gorgeous? Should I just ask the breeder to make my choice?
TIA from this newbie!

 

[pssh]

With babies you generally just choose a sire you like, hopefully get some pictures of the dams lineage, then pick out a baby. The baby usually won't have much color at all, so you get to watch it grow up.

If you're looking for a specific color(s) then I would buy a 12+ month old instead. Of course, nosy bes and nosy falys (in general) are pretty predictable.

 

[Texas Ranger]

Your best bet would be to first decide what local (or color pattern do you like). Then choose a good breeder. When you know what breeder you like and what local you want. Call the breeder tell them what you want and like. Then they should be able to match you with your dream chameleon.

I highly recommend Screameleons. I have a male from them sired by SoKool. He is wonderful. Im getting ready to get a female from them as we speak. They can tell you exactly which one will fit what you want.

Hope this helps

 

[Olimpia]

I essentially just look at a half dozen sites I know have fantastic animals I like, and sit and stare at the different males trying to decide! And then I usually do a bit of research on here, looking for offspring of each male I like to see what the babies are growing up to look like, just out of curiosity. And see if I find other photos of these males (at rest, just hanging out, and not just fired up because of a female or another male) and go from there. There have been a couple males that I loved on the sites and didn't feel so in love with when I saw their typical resting colors. After all, your chameleon isn't going to spend all day fired up!

And like Pssh says, most young panthers don't get their colors until they're older, so typically you let the breeder choose an individual for you. But some young ones do get some colors, so breeders will usually be willing to provide photos of the most colorful ones so you can choose.

Breeders like Chameleon Company and Chameleons 101 have been great providing me with photos of their most colorful babies so I can choose from there, but others probably will too if you ask for photos.

 

[ColorCham427]

Not sure if you're willing to spend the money but the best thing you can do is buy 7 or 8 males at once, (2.5-3 month old panthers) and raise them for 3 more months. Keep the one with the most color and sell the other ones. You'll make your money back and end up keeping the male that has the most potential as an adult.