Help Needed.

[tommyb7842]

Hello everyone, Im looking for someone to help me. I have a 10th month old panther chameleon and he wont get any color. I have 5.0 repti-glow bulb and and a 150 watt ceramic emitter. I feed my chameleon 10-15 crickets dusting them with repti calcium with D3, and herptizite by rep-cal every other day. I have added some pics of my tank and chameleon. Any help with be much appreciated thank you.

 

[jojackson]

Perhaps 'He' is a 'She' ? 150watt sounds rather hot?

 

[tommyb7842]

I was told when I purchased my chameleon that it was male. I couldn't get the basking area to be warm enough so I bought 150 watt with an adjustable stand so the temp is never higher then 95 degrees.

 

[SRTtoZ]

Change your supplement plan ASAP!

Dust with Calcium WITHOUT every day/every other day
Dust with Calcium with D3 twice a month (A MONTH*)
Dust with Reptive ONCE or Twice a month at most.

too much D3 is VERY bad

and I am not a chameleon 'expert' but those colors do look femanine*

 

[Jakedn]

I was told when I purchased my chameleon that it was male. I couldn't get the basking area to be warm enough so I bought 150 watt with an adjustable stand so the temp is never higher then 95 degrees.

He is a she, and the basking temp is way too hot. I would lower it down in the 80's. But then again, I'm no expert with panther chameleons .

 

[pssh]

I'm pretty sure he is a she. Most panther babys have color start to show by the time they're 3-5 months.

The reptiglo isn't the best bulb, and you probably want to get a reptiSUN 5.0.
Also, you should start to feed 6-8 crickets everyother day instead, and dust them with plain calcium most feedings. The calcium with D3 would be used only 2 or so times a month. I dont know what herptizite is but it probably shouldn't be used as often as it is.

Also, the temp is too hot especially if you have a girl. Bring it down to 80-82 ish, and get a laying bin. A tub big enough for her to fit in with a few inches to spare on every side should be good. Fill it with damp play sand and pete moss. Make it moist enough that it wont cave in on her if she digs a tunnel.

EDIT: Everyone beat me to it!

 

[Trace]

Do female pardalis have protruding rostrals, yellow cheeks and a hemipenal bulge?

How long have you had this panther? Perhaps he is not 10 months old but a bit younger.

 

[OldSkoolxReasons]

That is a male from what I can tell. He has the head structure amd the yellow on the lipe. He is also built like a male. However if that is a 10mo male panther a totally brown coloration is new to me. That is a females coloration one amales body. Did the seller tell you what locale it was? Because that is unlike any male I have seen. How big is he?

 

[tommyb7842]

I purchased him in April but I think I remember telling me he was born in January. What does protruding rostrals and hemipenal bulge mean, is that bad?

 

[pssh]

It could be one of those odd gender confused chameleons.

I believe Miss lily's Amy was one of the confusing ones.

A hemipenal bulge is where the boys keep their 'junk' It's on their tail just past the vent.

EDIT: how big is he/she?

 

[Lizardlover]

You have a male, lets see some pics of your cage and get some info on your chameleon. 150 watt is WAY WAY too hot, how often do you mist, do you see him drink, what color is his poop?

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/How

 

[Trace]

I purchased him in April but I think I remember telling me he was born in January. What does protruding rostrals and hemipenal bulge mean, is that bad?

Means the breeder was correct; you have a male.

Rostrals/rostral ridge are basically his nose/area above the lips. Normal for a male Panther.
Hemipenal bulge is the area at the base of the tail holding the reproductive organs. His 'man area'. In males of most species, it is noticeably larger. Normal.

I can't explain his dull colours. Perhaps tweaking your husbandry a bit and perfecting it will make him colour up. He may be younger than you think, males tend to get their colours around the 5 month mark which is how long you've had him. He may be a late bloomer.

 

[tommyb7842]

he is about 5 inches excluding his tail

 

[pssh]

Fill out the form posted above and post some pics of his enclosure, as Trace stated above, it may be a husbandry issue?

 

[tommyb7842]

Im sorry im new to this. What does husbandry mean and what form? His poop is mostly dark brown and some white sometimes. I have a dripper that I put water in a few times a day along with spraying the leaves. Unfortunately I am not home that much and dont see him drink often.

 

[jojackson]

LOl, I didnt look too closely at it, mostly because I dont have the species. From all accounts by 10 months most chams will have whatever color they have, and as far as Im aware its normally males more colorful..*shrugs*
I still think a 150watt ceramic seems overkill, makes me wonder what kind of caging/climate you have that think its nessesary.
I think Trace has the right idea, have another look at its enviroment before making hasty conclusions.
Best wishes with your lizard.

Husbandry refers to how you care for the lizard and what enviroment temp/humidity/food you provide it etc etc.

 

[Trace]

Husbandry means the management or raising of domestic animals or crops.

Here are the "How to ask for help" questions. Answer them truthfully and honestly. We are here to help you with your chameleon. Don't panic! He looks fine, but even the best of us can improve our techniques. There are plenty experienced Panther owners and breeders here that can help and answer questions. Don't be shy.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

 

[OldSkoolxReasons]

There are pics of a big male wild in madagascar with identical colors to your on this link.

http://hackingfamily.com/Flora_&_Fauna/Madagascar/MadReptiles.htm

http://hackingfamily.com/images/PantherChameleon3_CM.jpg

But from what I understand there is no local, atleast that I've heard of with brown on brown.

 

[kinyonga]

His head pads are somewhat deflated so he either isn't eating enough or he isn't getting enough water IMHO.

 

[summoner12]

I think you are over welming him with all that color. I think he is stressed out.

Take down allll of the colorful plants and colored paper behind the cage.

A 150w ceramic heater? Get him a 50w or 75w flood lamp. Do NOT use a heat emitter for him. Chameleons need the UVA from normal household lamps for giving them happy feelings.... as lame as that sounds it helps them. It encourages them to eat and move around and warms them up. The see that as 'warmth' MUCH better than the feeling of your ceramic heater. Junk the Reptiglo. Buy a Zoo Med Reptisun 5.0 LINEAR tube lamp. In general, linear are better and just proven to work best for our chameleons. How high from the top of the cage is the lamp? How high from the top of the cage is his basking spot?

Sounds like you are overdoing it withthe D3 dusting. Check out Brad Ramsey's site for some supplementng schedules to follow. You can follow most of the care given on that site for your panther. Just keep the temps a little cooler.