Ditto on the sexing thread =)

[Amanda S]

I bought this carpet as a girl but I just want you guys to confirm it for me. I took her to the vet and the vet just took my word and didn't think about it. I feel that her colors aren't as vibrant as most females at all. So..jw. Thanks in advance, sorry for being a pain.

Just let me know if these pics aren't good enough..

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Those are female colors? How old is she?

 

[Amanda S]

They are not female colors at all. For carpet chameleons the females are the colorful ones, not the males. Mike at FL chams estimated her to be 10 months old which is well past full grown. Does she look like a female? She has that little bulge but I personally don't know enough to know if that is a hemi-penal bulge or just the way she should look.

 

[Justin Carl]

It's a female, no doubt.
If you bought her from mike, then I wouldn't question something that was so easily sexed.
Look at the tail base.
Lateralis is from the furcifer genus, and most of us know how well the furcifer's like to bulge.
Sexual dimorphism is clear by color and by tail base.

 

[Amanda S]

Okay, good. Thank you! Mike obviously knows what he's doing with all the chams he comes across so it's all good, I just wanted to make sure. She isn't what I was expecting. Maybe her colors will change. She does have parasites so maybe once they are gone totally..

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

They are not female colors at all. For carpet chameleons the females are the colorful ones, not the males. Mike at FL chams estimated her to be 10 months old which is well past full grown. Does she look like a female? She has that little bulge but I personally don't know enough to know if that is a hemi-penal bulge or just the way she should look.

I see female colors. I am just giving my advise. You asked for conformation.

Edit : Looks like Justin has confirmed and you accepted his answer...

 

[Amanda S]

Sorry I don't mean to be disagreeable. I asked Mike which sex was the most colorful and vibrant. He told me it was the females, that I had first pick of the new shipment, and the one he chose for me was the best, showing great colors. This is the highlight of her coloring that you see here. They usually show reds, blues, purples, greens...every color of the rainbow. Mine is just brown, always. This is the only chameleon I have ever owned and my one and only priority was the coloring. Mike told me she would be really colorful so I am just confused. I would have bought a male if otherwise. I had no preference for gender or specie. Just sick colors.

Thank-you for giving me your opinion and advice though, I wasn't trying to disregard it. I just didn't and don't understand how those are female colors. She is brown. Mike told me she would not be and if I wanted a really crazy cool colored chameleon to buy a female carpet. I took Carl's answer because he mentioned the tail base rather than color.

Edit: Was I misinformed by Mike then?

 

[Justin Carl]

If I remember right, chameleons down walk around the cage showing off their best colors.
It's going to take something for her to color up.(ie A male, possibly a reflection of herself, or another female)

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Sorry I don't mean to be disagreeable. I asked Mike which sex was the most colorful and vibrant. He told me it was the females, that I had first pick of the new shipment, and the one he chose for me was the best, showing great colors. This is the highlight of her coloring that you see here. They usually show reds, blues, purples, greens...every color of the rainbow. Mine is just brown, always. This is the only chameleon I have ever owned and my one and only priority was the coloring. Mike told me she would be really colorful so I am just confused. I would have bought a male if otherwise. I had no preference for gender or specie. Just sick colors.

Thank-you for giving me your opinion and advice though, I wasn't trying to disregard it. I just didn't and don't understand how those are female colors. She is brown. Mike told me she would not be and if I wanted a really crazy cool colored chameleon to buy a female carpet.

Edit: Was I misinformed by him then?

No Mike is spot on and far more knowledgeable than I may ever be about Chameleons. It is probably still acclimating. I am not sure if you mentioned it or not but it is WC correct? It will brighten up. Like you said it has parasites and some stress issues from being shipped put in a bag and living the wild life. With time she will brighten up.

I said I see female colors only because it does not look like male colors. (Does that make sense?) Although not as vibrant the colors and pattern look like a female carpet to me.

Edit : Justin may have just hit it on the nose. I didn't even really think about that. Could even be a combination of the two,.

 

[Amanda S]

Haha. Well thanks again. I really was just confused. I am a new owner and yes, she is WC. Mike said it might take 6 months to acclimate. They really are amazing creatures. The color changing stuff is still way beyond me. I guess I wasn't sure if she could really change much/acclimation could have such an affect on her so I am glad to hear that this is normal and she will most likely brighten up. I am treating her for parasites and she's got a great cage so I guess only time will tell. And yea, I do see what your saying about the pattern and what not being female. Again, I am just naive in this area. I heard they are most colorful when gravid so maybe this is another aspect that is making her dull, no eggs. I don't want to stress her out but sometime I will have to put her in front of a mirror. Thanks!