Showing Receptive?

Herpcentric · Sep 3, 2019

Ok. So I’m new to Panther Chams as far as coloration and.. Frankly, just in general because Peaches is my first Panther. Now, with Veileds I know their receptive and gravid colors pretty well as they were my main keepers for several years.

How ever, I’ve no clue the receptive display for female panthers. Everything I’ve read says they will stay their day-to-day colors, but with a little marking/coloration twist thrown in. Like light banding and what not. But knowing that every female is different, it would still be very greatly appreciated to have a better opinion if she’s showing receptive or not.

I’m not worried about her gravid colors, just her receptive. Because what I’ve seen and read up on is her gravid display will be much more vivid. And honestly hard to misinterpret!

Here are some pics of her I took just before shutting her lights off tonight. Can anyone tell if she’s showing she’s excepting to the idea of breeding (I’m not going to as her previous owner has already and has two fertile clutches from her with only mating her once) Or if she’s just expressing herself more as she becomes more comfortable with my presence?

She puffed up really big at me for disturbing her. Could also be because she hasn’t gotten over me misting her enclosure just yet. She likes to hold grudges! She’s fairly thin, and in need of loosing a tad of weight because she’s eaten too many mealworms in too short a time (learned my lesson there!) I don’t know if you can tell but she also glared at me in that last pic!

But the banding across her back is new and I didn’t know if she’s becoming receptive?

How many times a year will/can she do this? How many clutches a year can she lay? Nothing I’ve read gives much of a true conclusive answer. And I know if varies from girl to girl... I’m not feeding her a whole lot. Currently 2-3 grasshoppers every other day (they are big and juicy!) and her temps are kept low to dissuade the odds of her producing eggs. I’m not ready to be a grandma yet! I’m doing a very light dusting on her feeders. Just enough to keep her in balance and good levels of calcium...

I’m just concerned that if she isn’t showing receptive colors, and these aren’t representing of stress... What could they mean? Is my baby ok..?

cloverthechameleon · Sep 3, 2019

She looks Gravid already. Do you have a lay bin in her enclosure?

Herpcentric · Sep 3, 2019

cloverthechameleon said:
She looks Gravid already. Do you have a lay bin in her enclosure?

She isn’t carrying, I can assure that much. She was thin as a string bean before I opened her door and then she flared on me. Her lil panther casque is a bit bloated, so she’s got a bit of fluff to her, but her belly is thin and when i felt her today she does not have eggs. But yes, she does have a lay bin. She’s not restless either, staying towards the center to upper parts of her foliage and steering clear of her cage bottom. That’s why I’m curious if she’s showing receptive or if she’s just expressing herself the more comfortable she becomes with me. If she is showing receptive, then she’s all set up for the case that she does produce eggs. But if she isn’t, and she’s just prowling like a panther with a new color scheme then I’d much prefer that for her prolonged health and less stress to her body!

cloverthechameleon · Sep 3, 2019

Try posting a better picture of her roaming her cage without startling her and making her puff up (Hard I know, they hate cameras and phones). If you’re concerned about receptive colours, I don’t see a concern at all. Female panthers cycle through pinks, peaches and light browns in coloration. It would be hard to tell she’s receptive without a male. Gravid females can be sometimes difficult to spot to an untrained eye. They do not necessarily always show a vivid display when Gravid. They will show this display if they are Gravid and within eye sight of a male tho, telling the male to back off and she is not willing to mate. Dark browns can mean your chameleon is cold, upset or sick. Every chameleon is different Ive had females never lay fertile or infertile clutches and I’ve also had one lay 5 infertile clutches in a year with lower temps, reduced food and she rarely ever changes colour when she’s Gravid nor does she ever get very round and plump with eggs. After time you will learn her colours and hopefully have an understanding as to what they mean.

Herpcentric · Sep 4, 2019

LMAO! Ok, I think I and Peaches are quite possibly air heads... SO! Hypothetically speaking, if she is displaying receptive markings, not saying she is because I’ve no idea if she is or not, but if she is, could she possibly be receptive towards, oh.. I don’t know.. A stuffed toy chameleon I have that sits on top of my beds pillows about 4-5 feed away? More specifically speaking.. It’s a Tangled Pascal plushie.

I’m trying for those better photos too. Will update when she’s cooperative!

Brodybreaux25 · Sep 4, 2019

Receptive colors are generally purple stripes

Hashtag ChamLife · Sep 4, 2019

Herpcentric said:
LMAO! Ok, I think I and Peaches are quite possibly air heads... SO! Hypothetically speaking, if she is displaying receptive markings, not saying she is because I’ve no idea if she is or not, but if she is, could she possibly be receptive towards, oh.. I don’t know.. A stuffed toy chameleon I have that sits on top of my beds pillows about 4-5 feed away? More specifically speaking.. It’s a Tangled Pascal plushie.

I’m trying for those better photos too. Will update when she’s cooperative!

Simply put, yes. I've run into this issue a couple of times. Ive even run into this specific issue. My wife is a Disney fan and had the same "lizard". It gets a reaction from my male.. but not the female. However, my female can see my male from across the room and will react. It's very possible it can cause a reaction... but it's also possible that if you have a big red shiny vase, that could be the issue to. Ive had different lizards react differently to all kinds of seemingly harmless or random items.

I recommend trying to "follow he gaze" or look where shes looking. See if you can see anything. It could be something... or you could spend 3 hours sticking different items in her face and feel stupid. The Joy's of cham keeping, lol.

Herpcentric · Sep 4, 2019

Ok! Finally got some pictures! Took her out for some late day sun basking and she shined nicely. Finally have a few good belly shots of her and a good shot of the pattern she’s been displaying!

Ok, this is her pattern she’s been showing. I noticed he head has almost lavender purple streaking it and she has a couple purple specks flicking her body. Her bands actually looked like they might of had a purplish undertone at the time but I don’t know if it was the light playing tricks.