Overall Impression

[AZweifel]

i just adopted this little guy from PetCo. He is a panther chameleon, I think he is approximately 3 months old, more thank likely a male(he has the bump under his tail that's relatively prominent).
Overall, he seems healthy. Feces and urate look completely normal, his humidity is never below 50%, and his basking spot is about 82 degrees fehrenhit. The remainder of the terrarium is in the 70's. I hand mist 2-3 times a day. I am feeding him crickets and meal worms, which he is eating like a champ.
My primary concern is his color. I know that darker colors are indicators of stress or chilliness? When I handle him, his color regulates back to a lite grey/green, but when he is in his enclosure he is almost black. Is this normal? Should I be concerned?

 

[AZweifel]

He's also eaten out of the palm of my hand and crawls into my palm as soon as I offer it to him. It seems like he enjoys climbing on me and being in my hair.

 

[Classy]

View attachment 186246 View attachment 186245 View attachment 186243 View attachment 186244 i just adopted this little guy from PetCo. He is a panther chameleon, I think he is approximately 3 months old, more thank likely a male(he has the bump under his tail that's relatively prominent).
Overall, he seems healthy. Feces and urate look completely normal, his humidity is never below 50%, and his basking spot is about 82 degrees fehrenhit. The remainder of the terrarium is in the 70's. I hand mist 2-3 times a day. I am feeding him crickets and meal worms, which he is eating like a champ.
My primary concern is his color. I know that darker colors are indicators of stress or chilliness? When I handle him, his color regulates back to a lite grey/green, but when he is in his enclosure he is almost black. Is this normal? Should I be concerned?

The young ones are always not so colorful, so that might be why he looks sorta grey. I wouldn't be feeding mealworms a lot though as they are high in fat and hard to digest for chameleons. You have a beautiful little boy, good luck!

 

[Scottsquatch]

What Classy said about the mealworms. Also, I would seriously consider putting more plants in his enclosure. Consider using chameleon safe real plants as well because they help hold humidity levels better.

Do you gut load your crickets? That is very important for a healthy cham as well as mixing up their diets. Try hornworms, silkworms, and dubias roaches as well as the crickets. Additionally, did anybody explain to you about dusting your crickets with calcium several times a week as well as calcium with D3 twice a month? You might wanna research that stuff and a good multivitamin as well. Good luck with your new cham and be sure to post pics!

If you are already aware of all of this please disregard this post. I wasn't sure if you've kept chams before or have done a lot of research yet.

 

[AZweifel]

This is my first chameleon! I have a calcium powder without D3, and I do dust the crickets and mealworms in it. I also have Reptivite that I sprinkle on his food every couple of days. I've barely had him a week, and I'm going to get a cricket keeper and start gutloding the crickets myself instead of buying preloaded ones. And I definitely plan on getting more plants! I spent my entire paycheck on him, so this weekend I'll be getting more stuff to keep him happy!
I had no idea mealworms were hard for them to digest, so I will absolutely pull back on those. Is it the same with silk worms?

 

[Scottsquatch]

As far as I know from all my research and from keepers on here, silkworms are ok. Mealworms and waxworms are the really fatty ones to avoid.

 

[Classy]

This is my first chameleon! I have a calcium powder without D3, and I do dust the crickets and mealworms in it. I also have Reptivite that I sprinkle on his food every couple of days. I've barely had him a week, and I'm going to get a cricket keeper and start gutloding the crickets myself instead of buying preloaded ones. And I definitely plan on getting more plants! I spent my entire paycheck on him, so this weekend I'll be getting more stuff to keep him happy!
I had no idea mealworms were hard for them to digest, so I will absolutely pull back on those. Is it the same with silk worms?

Silk worms I believe are okay, the nice thing about silkworms is they do not need to be gutloaded. Your supplements sound good.

 

[AZweifel]

And ideas on why his color change is so extreme so often? from the black-brown to light grey? I know he won't get his vibrant colors until he is about 6 months old.

 

[Classy]

And ideas on why his color change is so extreme so often? from the black-brown to light grey? I know he won't get his vibrant colors until he is about 6 months old.

When you hold him do his colors turn more intense?

 

[AZweifel]

When I hold him he will turn a lighter grey/green. But when he is in his enclosure he will be almost black sometimes. He just shed his skin a couple days ago, so maybe that is part of it?

 

[AZweifel]

And his throat will be red in coralation to the blacker colors, and will be white with the green colors.

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

This is my first chameleon! I have a calcium powder without D3, and I do dust the crickets and mealworms in it. I also have Reptivite that I sprinkle on his food every couple of days. I've barely had him a week, and I'm going to get a cricket keeper and start gutloding the crickets myself instead of buying preloaded ones. And I definitely plan on getting more plants! I spent my entire paycheck on him, so this weekend I'll be getting more stuff to keep him happy!
I had no idea mealworms were hard for them to digest, so I will absolutely pull back on those. Is it the same with silk worms?

Hi @AZweifel welcome great start . As @Scottsquatch said much more live plants you want it hard to find the baby in there . Lots of hiding and crushing places and spaces . You only want to use D3 2 times a month along with his multivitamin . Silkworms are an excellent choice and do not need to be dusted . Super worms as well are an excellent choice do need to be dusted . .https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66 . Copy and past not because anyone thinks he's sick just so other can see lights , temps , misting and such . It's easer to help you .

 

[AZweifel]

@Scottsquatch @Kristen Wilkins
I bought a Golden Pathos and moved all of the fake plants higher up. Does this look better or do I still need more?

 

[jamest0o0]

Your chameleon is a female

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

View attachment 186293 @Scottsquatch @Kristen Wilkins
I bought a Golden Pathos and moved all of the fake plants higher up. Does this look better or do I still need more?

Looks good . Add a few more crushing spaces be sure where the little girl will bask is correct temps . Could you fill out the help form ? Also you will need a lay bin . Maybe either @jamest0o0 or @jannb can provide the link how too set up .

 

[Graves923]

If you haven't already, take a look at the resource page on the forums here: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/

Lots a great info to learn to make sure you new cham stays healthy.

Also check out the panther caresheet here: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/panther/

You seem to be off to a good start. Follow the caresheet 100%. Shortcuts tend to cause issues...

Best of luck with your new chameleon

 

[jamest0o0]

I have yet to make a laying bin, but my understanding is it should be around a foot Deep of a playsand or sand/soil mix.

 

[AZweifel]

How can you tell that she is female?

 

[AZweifel]

And what is a crushing space?

 

[serenaj25]

the coloration is distinctly female, if you had a 3-4 month old male panther there would definitely be more color and less peachy tones. The bump under the tail that you see is not the hemipenal bulge you see in males, it is just the vent of the cham.