HELP on keeping a panther chameleon

Chameleonmaster

Chameleonmaster

Avid Member
hello im new to the forums and i just want your guys thoughts on getting started.
ive done my research for about 2 weeks now and i NEED to now how to keep humidity high in a dry house for a panther chameleon thanks:)
 
Hi! Kudos for asking questions before you get your chameleon!

There are lots of ways to help increase humidity. One of the easiest and the best is to use live plants in the enclosure. I have my dripper drip onto my plant. The pot has holes in the bottom so the water drains out, my cage has drainage so the water doesn't build up on the floor.

If you can have some of your plants in terracotta pots, that will help even more. Even taking empty terracotta pots, soaking them with water and putting them on the bottom of the cage will help.
 
what kind of plants are good for them and what ones should i try to avoid and for housing the chameleon i was looking on the internet and i was thinking on getting a 24-24-48 do you think thats big enough???
 
That is the classic size for a panther.

Board sponsor Florida Chams has a safe plant list you can refer to.

I'm a big fan of Pothos because they double as vines...if you start with a big enough plant, you can attach the vines to the walls of the cage and they will grow up toward the roof, giving your chameleon lots of climbing and hiding opportunities.

I strongly recommend planning on "drainage" for your cage now so you can have it right from the beginning. The basic way a lot of us do it is to have the cage on a table in which there is a good size hole. Under the hole put something to catch the water (bucket, rubber tub, whatever, make it pretty big because a) water splashes and b) it's hard to carry something that's full to the top with water). Drill a couple of holes in the bottom of your cage over the hole in the table. Voila. You might want to put something heavy (a rock, a pot) close to the holes to sort of push the bottom down and keep the water going where you cant it.
 
this guy at my local exotic pet store custom makes chameleon cages for a hobby so i will have him put a slot under it where i can put a tray of some sort
 
Oh, if you're having a custom built cage, you can make it really perfect. You might want to look at the Enclosures forum for some ideas. People have made some pretty nice cages! You might even consider making the whole bottom screen so that the cage is effectively sitting over the water in the catch container. That helps with humidity.
 
I let my crickets roam, but if you use the black crickets, you might find you need a cup. They are notorious for not climbing to the top of the enclosure. Also, some worms do better in a cup.

That doesn't affect how you have the bottom of the enclosure though, you just have him use the same screen he's using for the sides and top.
 
I buy breeders at the bait shop. 100 crickets for less than 2 bucks. I breed them in a ten gallon tank with some moist play sand. Throw some females in there, watch them stick their eggs in the sand, then pull em out and feed them to your kids. I keep my tank outside, out of direct sunlight, in sunny fl...doesn't take long at about 85 degrees! Soon you will have tiny little white baby crickets EVERYWHERE! Oh, and males don't have the egg "depositor". You can also look up how to breed crickets and other "bait" on your States Wildlife Conservation site.
 
Chameleonmaster said:
thanks do u or anyone know stuff about dubia roaches
Click to expand...

Dubia roaches are higher in protien, and have less fat content than crickets.

Dubia are cleaner and easier to keep than crickets.

Dubia will grow and breed like crazy, with little to no extra effort on your part. Just keep them at 85F-90F, and they will multiply.

They should be fed the same nutritious gutloads as you would feed crickets.

They hold their gut contents longer than crickets, up to 72hrs I believe.

Some chameleons may not eat them.

They can not really be released in the enclosures like you can with crickets. They will just hide.

They are illegal in Florida.

That is all I can think of atm.

I really recommend them overall.

Is there any specific questions you have pertaining to them?
 
Chameleonmaster said:
can they escape and if they can what will happen will they infest your house or anything.
Click to expand...

They cant climb smooth surfaces.

Keeping them contained is very easy.

I dont free range them in the cages, because they will just hide, and I dont want them to somehow get out.

They only breed if temps are above 85F, and cant survive lower temps(not exactly sure what temps) so even if one escapes, there arent many places in the US that they can breed, and if they do, they likely wont survive the winter.

Infestation risk is VERY low.
 
Ok thanks I just get scared when I think about putting them IN my house
And what do u think is a good price for a panther chameleon around 4-5 months old
 
panthers tend to be more expensive than say a veild, especially if you want a male. they can range from 250 to 450 and higher. a females price is lower, around 150 to 250 and higher. I much more reccomend a veild. They are much cheaper. a male at 4 months is like 75 bucks. :)
 
JessicaBay said:
panthers tend to be more expensive than say a veild, especially if you want a male. they can range from 250 to 450 and higher. a females price is lower, around 150 to 250 and higher. I much more reccomend a veild. They are much cheaper. a male at 4 months is like 75 bucks. :)
Click to expand...

Wel done... :)
 
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