What do you think of these weights? 😂😱

[TayloredExotics]

Alrighty, I need someone to confirm I'm not starving/stunting my baby chameleons. Someone sent me this chart after saying one of my babies was starving (he's 7g at 58 days old, which is double the size of the rest of his clutch). You can see his ribcage when he's not throwing a colorful fit, but you can on every baby I've ever raised, so ... Am I just starving everyone (with food available at all times)?! Also, my babies hatch at a half gram or less- which is 0.01 oz, and this chart says under 0.1oz. Mine also are an inch or less at hatch, including tail...

 

[Beman]

Genetics plays into it as well. I think as long as they have constant access to food your good. Your baby looks very healthy.
I can not be much help but my last baby I got was a 3 month old Veiled and he was 19 grams. maybe 3.5-4 inches total length.

@jannb do you keep weights on your panther babies in reference to age that you could share?

 

[TayloredExotics]

Genetics plays into it as well. I think as long as they have constant access to food your good. Your baby looks very healthy.
I can not be much help but my last baby I got was a 3 month old Veiled and he was 19 grams. maybe 3.5-4 inches total length.

@jannb do you keep weights on your panther babies in reference to age that you could share?

Ooh, they sent me one for veiled too (I had asked if maybe that was for veiled, since it seemed way off for panthers). Give me a sec to find it

 

[TayloredExotics]

@Beman here's their veiled chart. For reference, 1 oz is 28g. So according to their chart, yours was less than half the minimum size...

 

[TayloredExotics]

Alrighty, I asked the source for their charts, and am actually sending the following message to the publishing website:
Hello! I'm contacting you to let you know that the weight/size charts on this article https://petkeen.com/how-big-do-chameleons-get/#Panther_Chameleon_Size_and_Growth_Chart
appear to be incorrect. The source given (https://www.researchgate.net/public..._male_veiled_chameleons_Chamaeleo_calyptratus) (which only covers the veiled chart; the rest appears to be extrapolated without supporting evidence) shows that their data is approximately correct; however, they failed to take into account that the study began with 8 week old chameleons, not hatchlings. In addition, it only covers males, which both get larger and grow more quickly. Unfortunately, these misleading charts are causing people to believe their or others' chameleons are severely underweight, when they are in fact perfectly healthy. I'm not sure if it's possible to contact the author to see if this can be corrected somehow.

TLR- the direct source for the charts actually started with 8 week old veileds, whose numbers were listed as hatchlings on the chart, and guestimated for a bunch of other species.

 

[Beman]

Alrighty, I asked the source for their charts, and am actually sending the following message to the publishing website:
Hello! I'm contacting you to let you know that the weight/size charts on this article https://petkeen.com/how-big-do-chameleons-get/#Panther_Chameleon_Size_and_Growth_Chart
appear to be incorrect. The source given (https://www.researchgate.net/public..._male_veiled_chameleons_Chamaeleo_calyptratus) (which only covers the veiled chart; the rest appears to be extrapolated without supporting evidence) shows that their data is approximately correct; however, they failed to take into account that the study began with 8 week old chameleons, not hatchlings. In addition, it only covers males, which both get larger and grow more quickly. Unfortunately, these misleading charts are causing people to believe their or others' chameleons are severely underweight, when they are in fact perfectly healthy. I'm not sure if it's possible to contact the author to see if this can be corrected somehow.

TLR- the direct source for the charts actually started with 8 week old veileds, whose numbers were listed as hatchlings on the chart, and guestimated for a bunch of other species.

Yeah so IMO there is a range not a definite weight. And the fact that their charts start with 8 week olds does not account for total weight/length of the parents either. I gotta say I have been here for quite a while and have yet to see a 2 foot male veiled I mean lets be honest genetics is a real factor. Most Veileds have been inbred and do not have the best genetics. My male is only 15 inches in total length.

We have seen babies that are not healthy that come from some shady places. Yours do not resemble that at all. Your baby looks extremely healthy, showing color, and turrets are nice full and alert.

The author of the article may have had the best of intentions but there is quite a bit of inaccurate info. Even one of the images is a female veiled when talking about a male. They also suggest feeding veg which is not recommended. Even in the author info it says nothing about her even keeping chameleons. So another one of those sites that makes money off their ads.

 

[TayloredExotics]

Yeah so IMO there is a range not a definite weight. And the fact that their charts start with 8 week olds does not account for total weight/length of the parents either. I gotta say I have been here for quite a while and have yet to see a 2 foot male veiled I mean lets be honest genetics is a real factor. Most Veileds have been inbred and do not have the best genetics. My male is only 15 inches in total length.

We have seen babies that are not healthy that come from some shady places. Yours do not resemble that at all. Your baby looks extremely healthy, showing color, and turrets are nice full and alert.

The author of the article may have had the best of intentions but there is quite a bit of inaccurate info. Even one of the images is a female veiled when talking about a male. They also suggest feeding veg which is not recommended. Even in the author info it says nothing about her even keeping chameleons. So another one of those sites that makes money off their ads.

Yeah, I've been chatting with the guy who sent me those charts and he seems more on board. I just thought it was hilarious that the author who made those charts didn't read the study close enough to realize that 'Week 1' was 8 week olds, not hatch day... So assumed they HATCH at 3-4 inches long I feel better realizing the entire thing is off my two months, but I'm glad that mine look healthy in your opinion!

 

[Beman]

Yeah, I've been chatting with the guy who sent me those charts and he seems more on board. I just thought it was hilarious that the author who made those charts didn't read the study close enough to realize that 'Week 1' was 8 week olds, not hatch day... So assumed they HATCH at 3-4 inches long I feel better realizing the entire thing is off my two months, but I'm glad that mine look healthy in your opinion!

It is amazing the crap that is online. Glad you figured it out and the guy understands what he was looking at now.

 

[yoteango]

So are there any good growth charts for panthers? Have been unlucky in my search.

 

[Beman]

So are there any good growth charts for panthers? Have been unlucky in my search.

To my knowledge not really... Just make sure they are eating unlimited amounts from hatch date and track weight as they mature. There are too many variables that can influence growth from male to female to genetics of parents. Even down to feeder amounts and UVI level exposure.