New To Chams needing some wisdom

[aeonblue00]

Hey guys finally after years of wanting, i have had the chance to be in a position to get my first cham and be able to properly take care of it. After having done a lot of reading and research I decided to pick up one here at my local Petco and I am so glad I did.

I have only had him for about 4 days now and am becoming very attached, but I am still very new and learning and I would really like to know for sure what I have. I know this sounds stupid probably to you vets, but I was told when I purchased him that he was a male jackson's. However after finding out more about Jackson's I am beginning to believe that either a) it isn't a he but a she, or b) its not a jackson at all and they just don't know what they were talking about.

He is still very small, perhaps 4 inches from tip to tip, maybe slightly smaller. He is eating awesomely, drinking just fine and appears as healthy as can be which is great. I Just want to make sure I am correct in what type he is simply so that I can better customize my plan to his specific needs.

I have a couple of pics here, and I am not sure if you guys will be able to help with them so if needed I can get more I was just wanting to not have to attempt to move him so as to cause the least amount of stress for his mug shots lol.

Anyway thanks for any help with this, I can't wait to make sure he gets everything he needs =).

 

[maya2]

I think that little guy looks like a panther.

I'm not very familiar with panthers though, so hopefully one of the more experienced members can talk about possible locale.
There's also an area of the site for cham identification, and there only senior members can reply so you might get better info.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/chameleon-identification/

 

[maya2]

Also, it might be good to post a picture with a profile of the tail/vent area. That'll help people figure out the gender.

 

[Carlton]

Hey guys finally after years of wanting, i have had the chance to be in a position to get my first cham and be able to properly take care of it. After having done a lot of reading and research I decided to pick up one here at my local Petco and I am so glad I did.

I have only had him for about 4 days now and am becoming very attached, but I am still very new and learning and I would really like to know for sure what I have. I know this sounds stupid probably to you vets, but I was told when I purchased him that he was a male jackson's. However after finding out more about Jackson's I am beginning to believe that either a) it isn't a he but a she, or b) its not a jackson at all and they just don't know what they were talking about.

He is still very small, perhaps 4 inches from tip to tip, maybe slightly smaller. He is eating awesomely, drinking just fine and appears as healthy as can be which is great. I Just want to make sure I am correct in what type he is simply so that I can better customize my plan to his specific needs.

I have a couple of pics here, and I am not sure if you guys will be able to help with them so if needed I can get more I was just wanting to not have to attempt to move him so as to cause the least amount of stress for his mug shots lol.

Anyway thanks for any help with this, I can't wait to make sure he gets everything he needs =).

They sold this animal to you as a jackson's chameleon? WOW. I don't see any sign of horn buds that a male jax would have. Looks like this is a panther chameleon...a very different creature from a completely different habitat. Better describe the husbandry information they gave you...its probably wrong, so I'd ignore it! We can help you set up correctly.

BTW, I would TELL THAT STORE that they didn't even identify their own livestock correctly. The care info they give to other customers who buy their "jackson's chameleons" will result in a lot of misery and death. On the other hand, a panther is a great species to work with and a bit more forgiving for beginners. I don't know the sex based on the pics.

 

[aeonblue00]

Yeah that is why I started to wonder after I had him home and examined him some, from everything I have seen it seems pretty clear to not be a male jackson, but could it be a female? As far as husbandry goes I have been following the care sheets I have found here for Jackson's, to be honest the ones petco gave were very generic cham things and I wanted to be specific from the beginning.

Temp and humidity wise I have been sticking pretty strictly to what I learned from here, basking is right around 80-83 degrees, and drops to about 75 at the bottom of the enclosure. I am still working on figuring out a solid humidity solution as that seems to be the hardest part for me. We have very cold dry air in the winter here in eastern washington and i can only consistently keep about 50% which goes to about 70 after misting.

I am working on a drainage system this weekend however and then going to install the auto mister I bought to hopefully help with that.

It is strange because he/she is really doing well, it has a great appetite, drinks plenty and is very active so I am not really concerned but I want take care of him as best I can. Here are a few more pics I got, but once again I have yet to attempt to hold him as he is still so new to his environment and I am trying to minimize stress. Appreciate all the help though guys!

 

[johnnyev]

Yeah i think it's a female jacksons, but which sub species i'm not sure.
It's not a panther.

Mmm! Not so sure now looking at those pics. Does look like a panther. I can't enlarge the pics?

 

[garrettt331]

Looks like a panther to me, but I could be wrong. Make sure to find out quickly, as the care will be quite different I believe. Welcome to the forums by the way.

 

[aeonblue00]

Well i guess your Cham really is a master of disguise if you can't even determine species

 

[Trace]

Welcome to the forums. You have got yourself a fine looking female Panther Chameleon.

We have some great resources written for both beginners and seasoned keepers alike so check them out. In particular check out the female care advice on the Panther caresheet.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask!

 

[aeonblue00]

Thank you so much Trace! Looks like it's time to redo my plan for this little lady, appreciate all the help so far this board is a life saver

 

[BobS346]

I agree, looks like a female Panther to me.

 

[camimom]

When Trace speaks, you listen.

Trace is one of the best at identifying anything chameleon lol.

I too agree that it is a female panther chameleon.

Nothing about the shape of the head or coloring, or anything says jackson

 

[Trace]

Oh I’m not sure about that but thank you for the compliment.

To the OP. Female Panthers are not nearly as bright or flashy as the males or even a Jackson’s with their big horns, but they have their own understated beauty. As Carlton mentioned a captive bred Panther is a better choice for a new keeper. At some point you will need to learn about egg laying so you are ready but given the right conditions it’s not as terrifying as you might think.

Have fun with her. We also loooove pictures here so don’t be shy.

 

[aeonblue00]

Yeah I am not worried about flashy I already have a soft spot for her and that's what matters. I am going to be doing a lot of work on her enclosure this weekend and will update with pics to get your guys advice.

 

[mattjackson]

new to cham needing some wisdom

Wow, I'm glad u did your own research, and didn't just rely on the petco advice, shame on them.

 

[aeonblue00]

Yeah, everything has been working out nicely. I pretty much have her enclosure set up how I want it, however she is growing like a weed and I will soon be looking to move her into her permanent home. All in all this has been a great experience and we are having a blast, just working on trust now so we can handle her some.