Is he really a Sambava?

[danielle609]

With all the discussion lately about CH panthers, I have become curious to see what you guys think about my male. I got him a little over 2 years ago from John Lucas at Chameleon Paradise. He is a CH Sambava from a wild caught female. He was a little over 4 months old when I got him. I don't have a very trained eye, but I am pretty sure he looks pure, I just would like to get your 2 cents seeing as he has been bred, and although his babies will most likely only be pets, I don't want to risk the chance of "contaminating" any bloodlines. The first picture is of his "normal" colors, and the other is of him when he saw a female for the first time. Sorry for how poor the second picture is, I was rushed and didn't want to make him mad. But let me know if you guys think he is pure, I am pretty sure he is, but then again he doesn't really look like other Sambavas out there. Thanks in advance for any replies!

Danielle

 

[Dave Legacy]

That's a Sambava without a doubt. Colors will vary between individuals and that's why it becomes difficult to tell, but Sambavas vary quite a bit from other localities. The base color is a pretty good give away, and the fired colors just confirm. My sambava is a rich green with black stripes at rest and fires up Yellow w/rasberry red stripes, and bright green/orange accents.

I've seen others go yellow/orange, orange/red, etc. Bottom line that's a pretty convincing sambava.

 

[PardalisGirl]

Sambava.....

He does look like a Sambava. I would not doubt that he is. There are many variations as to coloration. Nothing to fret over. Is he the daddy of the eggs you got earlier?

 

[danielle609]

Thanks Dave and Catherine for the replies! I am glad that you guys think he is also pure. I was pretty sure but I guess you never know. And yes Catherine, he is the proud daddy-to-be of the eggs I have. The father of my female looks quite a bit like Dizzy, but a little bit more vibrant when fired up. So I am hoping the same for the babies! (as long as they hatch )

 

[Jeweledchameleons]

As far as breeding is concerned and your animal... you want to know if it's "pure" or not.
Since, you've referenced to it a few times in your questions. I've gotta tell you...

You can not refer to your animals as being "pure" when discussing it or selling any future offspring.
There is no such thing as "PURE" when dealing with these animals (as of yet).

Domestically the lines haven't been through enough generations to qualify for such a title.
Basically your questioning of the breeders reliability from whom you sourced your animal is ...
well quite frankly, proof enough that you don't have a documented animal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purebred

The most you can get at this point is if you are able to establish a line that "breeds true type"
-not only to form but also to color and pattern.
and you can't guarantee that, until you have raised a few generations of offspring.

After determining that all of the clutches have no sign of deviation outside
of what is acceptable for "Sambava" from that same pair of parents and grand parents can you start making that claim.
Naturally, that all has to be recorded and documented for the public to reference.

It's still entirely possible that you have a mixed locality animal who's line hasn't been refined
dating back a generation or two ago who were only bred for the pet trade.
(part of the discussion about mixing locals for fun colors).

The male looks like he's conforming to the accepted type, but may still hold
some deviant genetics that aren't expressed and may show up in his offspring.
and that's only for the male
You have to wonder "what about the female he was mated with?' what's her genetic story?

Best thing to do is to buy your animals from someone you can trust with a good reputation.
and if you want to start breeding them it's going to take years and years to get established.
I know of no breeder that has a consistent line yet established the best that can be managed is type of locality.
We're still all on the (pre)crawling stages of chameleon breeding ya know.

 

[danielle609]

Thanks JeweledChameleon for the detailed reply! As far as the male I am pretty sure I got him from a reputable breeder. But I dont ever plan on becoming a "breeder" for me it is more or less a hobby, and in the future if I have some hatch and decide to sell them, I will make sure to disclose all information. I really want to raise one of the hatchlings up myself to see how it grows up and see how the colors turn out. But I have awhile before the eggs even hatch