Let me see if I can help clear anything up.
The Panther chameleon is the common name for Furcifer pardalis (pardalis being latin for something similar to a panther.) "Panther" chameleons are from the island of Madagascar.
Despite them having different locales, it is not the same as a "breed." They haven't been domesticated, and so far, the locales are not a subspecies of F. pardalis (some argue that they should be.) The locales are the actual area of Madagascar they are from. They are often named after the area they are from. Example: Ambilobe chameleons are from the area around Ambilobe on Madagascar. Nosy be chameleons are from the island of Nosy be (Nosy means island.)
The "red rain" names and the like were given to the specific locales when they were discovered to (if I remember correctly) prevent people from knowing their actual locale.
While there are specific color variations within a locale, they are still a locale. Example: A blue barred, red body Ambilobe is still an Ambilobe, just an animal with specific colors. There are lines that are more likely to produce said colors, but there are also animals that pop up from other lines. Both blue barred and red barred Ambilobes are still Ambilobes, just natural variations in the locale.
Each locale generally has physical features that are more likely to be seen in that locale. Example: Sambavas and other east coast locales are more likely to have a U-shaped bar but do not always have them. Sambavas tend to be larger than other locales. Ambanjas tend to have a specific head shape and longer rostral projections.
When the animals are bred in captivity, yes, we have begun artificial selection, however, unless two locales are cross bred, they will always have particular traits from the locale. People do breed for specific colors (like the blue barred, red body Ambilobes) but so far there are not any actual simple (dominant/recessive, co-dominant, etc.) genetics involved like other reptiles (leopard geckos, ball pythons, etc.) or certain dog genetics. Veiled chameleons (C. calyptratus) on the other hand, do have a recessive "translucent" gene.
Even when you breed two animals of a certain locale that have been bred for their specific colors you can get any color that the locale could have. Example: When two red barred Ambilobes are bred together, the offspring may be red barred, blue barred, or mix color-barred including part red/part blue and just plain purple.
Basically, I wouldn't compare locales to breeds of dogs, but more like human ethnicity.
Please add if you feel I am missing or incorrect regarding something.
