Captive Care Information
Helpfull information to help you get off to a great, healthy start with your new chameleon.
However, proper husbandry and care is crucial for long term success.
Therefore, continue to research and learn about the additional care
necessary. There is a lot of information in forums and on the web.
Feeding and Supplements
A variety is key in keeping a healthy Chameleon. Food is available such as crickets, roaches, silkworms, superworms, mealworms, waxworms, hornworms, butterworms, and fruit flies. Some of these foods are staple foods and others as treats. Staple foods can be fed regularly, whereas, they offer more nutrition and a lower fat content. Treats are just that, they offer no real good nutritional value, but offer variety to your chameleons' diet.
Staple food items may include:
- Crickets
- Roaches
- Silkworms
- Superworns
These items can be offered to your chameleon on a daily basis. Crickets and
silkworms are among the most readily available feeders as a staple diet.
Roaches and superworms are also good as a mix with the two above feeders
as your daily food items.
It is important to feed your chameleon's food as well, to keep them
longer, stronger, and more nutritious. This process is called gut loading.
Each feeder insect will have its own food requirement. Feeding the insects,
food before you feed them to your chameleon is highly recommended to
ensure that your chameleon is getting proper nutrition.
Crickets have some, but not much nutritional value. Your chameleons nutrition comes
from what your feeders eat. Try to feed your chameleon shortly
after the crickets have consumed their food. If you wait too long, the
cricket will pass some of the nutritional content as waste.
Crickets will need to fed a high quality dry gut load along with
a water source. This would include leafy greens, carrots, yams, squash,
apples, and oranges. You can also buy commercial dry guy loads;
just make sure it's well balanced. You should have a small container
of dry guy load and a water source with your crickets at all times.
Mixing the water source up is always a plus.
Food Variety is very important. Your chameleon will get very bored if
they eat the same things over and over.
Supplementation is also a key element in keeping a healthy chameleon.
These animals in captivity are very prone to metabolic bone disease,
where their bones are very brittle and deformed. You will need to dust
crickets, as well as gut loading them. Dust them with both multivitamins
and calcium supplements. Babies and juveniles require a higher intake
of supplements to help their bones bones grow. Too much supplemetation
can also cause health problems. Therefore, use the correct amount by
followoing these instructions.
1. Rep-Cal Calcium w/D3 phosphorous free, for chameleons kept indoors.
-(every other day for Juvenilles, Once a week for adults) Calcium w/o D3 and phosphorous 3 times a week.
2. Herptivite dust crickets 2 times a week. However do your research
some opinions vary on this issue. Therefore, you will have to make an
accurate decision on what is working best.
This guideline should give you an outline to follow for a healthy diet.
1. Babies ( up to 3 months) feed daily, 8-15 pinhead 1/4" crickets.
Also fruit flies, and small silk worms.
2. Juveniles (4-6 months) feed daily 8-15 1/4"-1/2" crickets.
Also, silkworms and other feeders for treats
3. Sub-Adults ( 7-12months) feed daily 8-10 1/2" -3/4" crickets.
Also silkworms, and other feeders as treats.
4. Adults (13 months +) feed every other day 10-12 crickets. Also begin
to offer as much variety in their diet. Females that are gravid or have
just had eggs, continue daily feeding.
Resources:
Vincent -Screameleons.
Gary Ferguson
www.chameleonforums.com
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200604210...d.Calcium.html
http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=102
http://chameleonnews.com/?page=home
http://vipervenom9.tripod.com/id17.html
Housing
Panther Chameleons are tree dwellers, and as such, need a lot of space to climb around. A minimum size for an adult Panther is 3' by 3' by 4' high. It should always be taller than wide or deep. Use a full screen enclosure, some use a glass aquarium. These guys will climb on anything, and glass enclosures need proper ventalation. As mentioned, they are tree dwellers, and do not really need a substrate. Subtrate of any kind can lead to impaction if eaten, and as Chameleons catch prey with their tongue, substrate commonly goes with it. Opinions do vary of course. Provide a live plant for hiding, and a lot of branches and walkways for your Panther Chameleon to climb and bask on.
Lighting & Heating
Chameleons need a basking bulb to provide a heat source, and second a UVB light source to help your chameleon produce the proper amount of D3
Option 1: 60w basking bulb and a small light dome for heat. Fluorescent light fixtue and a Zoomed Reptisun 5.0 UVB flourescent bulb.
Option 2: Single mercury vapor bulb. Mercury vapor bulbs contain UVB/UVA/heat all in one bulb. They require a 10" dome with a ceramic socket to handle the heat and spread the light out. Currently use one made by Zoomed called the Powersun. Not reccommended for small enclosures
Cage Furnishing
Cage should be furnished with Plants,Vines, and Branches.
Plants
The most commonly used plants for chameleon cages are the ficus tree, umbrella tree, and pothos.
Vines and Branches
Use artificial branches and vines, or the real thing, you will need at least two pieces. One closer to the basking area, and one at the lower end of the cage. The important thing is to provide different temperature levels in the cage to allow the chameleon to thermo regulate. Keep in mind that you should use at least 2 pieces. The more you add the better.
We are expert Panther Chameleon Breeders!:
Located just North of Cincinnati, Ohio you can email us at Tkilgour@roadrunner.com or call 513.509.0494
For more information on panther chameleons and the perfect start up kit call 513.509.0494
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