Parsons - Male and female - ID Subspecies?

[Lleroy]

Bought these two Parsons last year. They were young - about 8 - 10months. Guy said they are a pair. Couldn't sex them( post last year: https://www.chameleonforums.com/sexing-parsons-please-help-buying-both-24488/ ) . 95% of people told me they are both males. They started to show some colour. Here are some pictures. The male is still getting its colours and the other one is green(I think it’s a female).
An 'Expert' came to see the pair and told me they might be two different subspecies of parson. There are two subspecies of Parson’s chameleon: Calumma parsonii cristifer reaches just 47 cm, has a small dorsal crest, and is bluer in colour whereas Calumma parsonii parsonii is the larger of the two, reaching up to 68 cm, and has no crests at all.

I don’t know if it is too early but I can’t identify if they are. Also dont know if they both are male. Any help and opinion would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Chris Anderson]

A definite pair of Calumma parsonii parsonii.

Chris

 

[Lleroy]

After I looked at your pair, it does seem like it. The other guy told me one might be Calumma parsonii cristifer. Guy that imported them said they were caught randomly across Madagascar. They might also differ in age.

 

[SSimsswiSS]

What temp. range are you keeping them at?

 

[Lleroy]

Keeping them at about 81 -90F(25 -33C).

 

[Lleroy]

Steve, how many parsons do you have?

 

[Chuck G]

They are parsonii parsonii, not cristifer. If I took a guess I would say male and female. Good luck with them.

 

[Chris Anderson]

No, they are both definitely C. p. parsonii, not C. p. cristifer.

High 80s and low 90s is too hot for parsonii in my opinion. Ideally they should be kept in ambient temps in the low to high 70s. Be sure to give them plenty of water when their temps get above 26C.

Chris

 

[SSimsswiSS]

Keeping them at about 81 -90F(25 -33C).

Please lower their temp. if possible. I find that 72 F is the ideal daytime temp.. I have a large male that climbs down to hug the cool ground when temps rise above 80 F. Picture 3 looks like girl is heat stressed. She should be a nice green blue, to green yellow when in comfort zone. Are these recent pictures, or taken over time. Male looks younger then female in age, and both look p.parsonii to me.

Steve, how many parsons do you have?

Let me turn on the security system before answering this. Seven - 4.3

 

[Garrett]

"Guy that imported them said they were caught randomly across Madagascar. "

 

[adamkwas]

Guy that imported them said they were caught randomly across Madagascar.

Wait, hold on. Did you just state these animals were WC?

 

[Garrett]

i take that comment back, I don't want to start yet another parsonii
morality thread.

 

[adamkwas]

Wow! Garrett, is that your parsonii? He's absolutaly stunning!

 

[Lleroy]

Back from weekend. My temp is about at 23 - 29C at most (sorry converted mixed F and C wrong). I have a humidifier and fogger system installed for them. I took some new pictures of them this weekend. It does seem like the male is younger. He was smaller from the beginning. Yes it’s true.... Some guy brought a few in from Madagascar. I wasn’t aware of their origin (I bought them from two different pet shops, was badly kept) and it was told to me that they were bred there (in Madagascar from a breeder). Only after I've had them for about 7months, I actually met the guy who imported them. He told me they were all wild caught.
Thanks for the tips and feedback. Your Parsons looks super awesome. Good luck with them.

 

[Lleroy]

i take that comment back, I don't want to start yet another parsonii
morality thread.

Stunning male man. Hope my male looks like that some day.

 

[Lleroy]

Wait, hold on. Did you just state these animals were WC?

Yes, they were.

 

[Lleroy]

They are parsonii parsonii, not cristifer. If I took a guess I would say male and female. Good luck with them.

Thanks Chuck.

 

[Lleroy]

No, they are both definitely C. p. parsonii, not C. p. cristifer.

High 80s and low 90s is too hot for parsonii in my opinion. Ideally they should be kept in ambient temps in the low to high 70s. Be sure to give them plenty of water when their temps get above 26C.

Chris

Hi Chris. They do drink lots of water. I have a dripping system setup where they drink from. How does a gravid Parson female look like?

 

[Lleroy]

Please lower their temp. if possible. I find that 72 F is the ideal daytime temp.. I have a large male that climbs down to hug the cool ground when temps rise above 80 F. Picture 3 looks like girl is heat stressed. She should be a nice green blue, to green yellow when in comfort zone. Are these recent pictures, or taken over time. Male looks younger then female in age, and both look p.parsonii to me.


Let me turn on the security system before answering this. Seven - 4.3

Hey Steve. everytime when I handle the female she gets these bright yellow colours and dark greens(pic 3). Temp was quite low that day. Didnt know it might be heat stress.

 

[Chuck G]

Hey Steve. everytime when I handle the female she gets these bright yellow colours and dark greens(pic 3). Temp was quite low that day. Didnt know it might be heat stress.

Those are stress colors from being handled.