Female panther chameleons can make great pets. In fact, they can live long healthy lives, and be just as cool as the males! However, there is just one significant difference between males and females. Females can lay eggs!

Before we get started, it’s important to understand something about the female panther chameleon. Females can lay eggs even if they aren’t bred.  Sometimes, they’ll lay them without any problems. Sometimes, they’ll have complications. This is called egg-binding. Below are 5 tips that can help you avoid egg-binding to keep your baby girl happy and healthy.

1. Don’t expose them to males

If you don’t intend to breed your female, don’t expose her to males. By this, I mean don’t even let her see a male. Visual stimulation may be enough to kick in ovulation in a female panther chameleon. By eliminating the sight of a male, you may be able to suppress ovulation, which reduces the chances of laying eggs. If you keep a male, just make sure you setup visual barriers so they can’t see each other.

2. Keep temperatures a bit cooler

In the wild, females produce eggs when the season is right. Warmer temperatures etc. are prime time for producing eggs in the wild. So the opposite can be said about the wrong season. If the conditions are not ideal for producing eggs, then females may not kick into ovulation mode. The idea is to trick them into thinking that it isn’t the right time to produce eggs. Obviously, you don’t want to simulate a full-blown winter season in captivity. A few degrees cooler should do the trick.

3. Do not overfeed

In the wild, warmer temps also means an abundance of food. Warmer temps and more food is Mother Nature’s way of saying it’s time to produce eggs. So overfeeding may also be a signal to the female that it’s time to ovulate. In addition, we’ve observed that the amount of food a female eats directly affects the size of the clutch. The more a female eats, the more eggs they’ll lay, the more stress their little body’s will go through.

While you don’t want to starve your female, you do want to keep them lean. For the first 6 months, you can feed a normal quantity of food. However, after the first six months we recommend reducing the food intake to about six 1/2″ crickets per day. The goal is to keep your female lean, so you may need to adjust the food intake as they get older if you see her gaining weight. Pay special attention to weight gain around her legs and neck. Feed fewer crickets per day as needed. Feeding every other day is also acceptable.

4. Keep females exercised

Females in the wild are always on the go and are well-exercised.  Females in captivity don’t have to work for their food, and it’s very easy for them to become overweight. With less exercise also comes less muscle development. A colleague of ours also observed that that the increase in exercise may also help with the egg-laying process. It makes sense that a fit female is better developed to lay eggs.

We recommend free-range feeding your female. Do not cup-feed your females. By forcing them to hunt for their food, you are also forcing them to exercise. In the event that they do lay eggs, they’ll be better equipped to lay them without issues.

5. Provide a nest at all times

When a female is ready to lay eggs and there is nothing to lay them in, they will often retain them. This can be fatal! So the idea is to provide a nest at all times. A nest is simply a small potted plant placed in her cage. Even a small 6 “to 8″ potted pothos plant will suffice. There is nothing worse than being caught off guard and coming home to see eggs all over the cage floor.

By keeping a small plant in the cage, you won’t have to worry about this. If and when she is ready to lay eggs, she’ll have a nest to do her thing.

Conclusion

The tips above still do not guarantee that your female will never lay eggs. They simply reduce the chances of it happening. In the event that she does lay eggs, these tips above will also help her lay her eggs without a hitch.  As you can see, by following a few simple guidelines you can keep a happy and healthy female panther chameleon.

Common Reasons

There are many reasons why a chameleon will display darker colors. A common misconception is that dark colors always means stress. This is not true. So before you panic, check out these top three reason why chameleons turn dark.

1. Basking

If the chameleon is dark and is close to the heat bulb, it means that he/she  is trying to absorb the heat to warm up. This is called basking. It’s just like wearing a black T-Shirt on a sunny day. Your body will warm up fast. The chameleons are simply trying to warm up. You’ll observe this behavior in the early morning for the most part.

2. Stress

While less frequent than the above, stress also causes dark coloration. This is more apparent in the vertical banding of the chameleon. If the chameleon is dark and it’s body is flat with a kung-fu grip, it means that he or she is saying “back-off”. This is more characteristic of a defensive posture and indicates a level of stress. The best thing to do in this case is to give him/her some space.

3. Gravid

This applies to female panther chameleons only. If a panther female is dark after copulation, it means that she is gravid and is done breeding. In other words, she’s pregnant. You’ll often see a very dark background with orange spots when this happens.

Conclusion

There you go. Just because your chameleon is dark doesn’t mean he’s stressed out. There are many reasons for changing colors. You just need to learn to recognize what they mean. Hope this helps!

A feeding cup is simply a cup that you use to feed your chameleon. Before going into the details of how to make one, let’s go over the pros and cons of using one.

Advantages of using a feeding cup

Feeding cups are a good way to keep things clean. Instead of having crickets hide behind plants and furnishings, they are all isolated to a cup. In addition, the crickets also stay cleaner. Crickets are less exposed to the bacteria on cage bottom floors. Having said that, your cage floors shouldn’t be dirty in the first place.

Besides keeping things clean, it also makes tracking food intake easy. You can count how many your chameleon eats by simply counting how many are left in the cup. Cricket dust also tends to stay on longer, which eliminates the risk that your chameleon isn’t getting enough supplementation.

Disadvantages of using a feeding cup

The biggest disadvantage of using a feeding cup is the lack of exercise your chameleon will receive. Chameleons tend to get lazy when cup-trained. A side effect is that they also seem to stop using their tongues in favor of sticking their entire heads into the cups. For many, this reason alone is enough to free-roam feed. We also don’t recommend cup-feeding female panther chameleons. We believe that a female needs to be well-exercised to avoid complications with egg-laying.

How to make a feeding cup

Start with a semi-see-thru cup. You can pick up a soup cup at Whole Foods. They have the tall cups that work perfectly. Make sure they are not completely transparent as they will try to shoot right through it and injure their tongue.

Start with a up

Next, cut a hole at the bottom for drainage. This is optional if you are not using a misting system and plan to clean the cup daily. But I do stress that you need to keep the cup very clean. Even with screen, you still need to clean frequently.

Cut a hole at the bottom

Once you remove the bottom, you’ll need to glue a piece of aluminum screen to the bottom. Aquarium glue works very well for this. Make sure you use something safe.

Glue Screen To The Bottom

Place a wire around the top-rim of the cup. Bend it in such a way that you have a hook at the end. Place the cup near your chameleon’s favorite spot. It can be directly under his/her branch or on the side.

Secure the cup on the cage

Screameleons is proud to present the newest panther chameleon morph. With the help of a very good friend, we have named this new discovery the “Oorana Mena” panther chameleon. Oorana Mena is Malagasy for “red rain”. The name describes the carmine red speckles over their light blue and white background.

One of their most striking features is their yellow cheeks and eyes. Each one of them displays a beautiful eye pattern that is very unique. Another feature of this morph that is not found in any other panther is their ability to fire up white. This amazing display of bright white is perhaps the most unusual display we have ever seen in a panther chameleon. Full grown adults seem to display more white than sub-adults. They have been observed to display different shades of blue including Sky Blue, Cobalt Blue, and Turquoise Blue. Their rain-drop speckles fire up to a vibrant bright red all over their body. At rest, their white coloration can be hidden completely!

We are currently working with a small colony of these panther chameleons. This morph is exclusive to Screameleons, and we are working with a very small number of breeders around the US to propagate this morph in captivity. By next year, the first group should be ready for sale. We are extremely excited about this new project, and hope that you will find them just as impressive. At the moment, this is one of our favorite panther morphs, and we will be adding more photos of our breeders to the projects section of Screameleons.com.

Screameleons is proud to present the newest panther chameleon morph. With the help of a very good friend, we have named this new discovery the “Oorana Mena” panther chameleon. Oorana Mena is Malagasy for “red rain”. The name describes the carmine red speckles over their light blue and white background.

One of their most striking features is their yellow cheeks and eyes. Each one of them displays a beautiful eye pattern that is very unique. Another feature of this morph that is not found in any other panther is their ability to fire up white. This amazing display of bright white is perhaps the most unusual display we have ever seen in a panther chameleon. Full grown adults seem to display more white than sub-adults. They have been observed to display different shades of blue including Sky Blue, Cobalt Blue, and Turquoise Blue. Their rain-drop speckles fire up to a vibrant bright red all over their body. At rest, their white coloration can be hidden completely!

We are currently working with a small colony of these panther chameleons. This morph is exclusive to Screameleons, and we are working with a very small number of breeders around the US to propagate this morph in captivity. By next year, the first group should be ready for sale. We are extremely excited about this new project, and hope that you will find them just as impressive. At the moment, this is one of our favorite panther morphs, and we will be adding more photos of our breeders to the projects section of Screameleons.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why do I need to dust my crickets?

Dusting your crickets with vitamins are key to keeping your chameleon healthy. Without them, your chameleon is at risk of developing problems such as Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) and eye problems.

Q. What supplements should I use?

Everyone has a different preference when it comes to dusting. We prefer Rep-Cal with D3 for chameleons kept indoors, in addition to Herptivite.

Q. How often should I dust?

This depends on the age of your chameleon. Chameleons 1-10 months old should receive Rep-Cal with D3 every other day and Herptivite twice a week. Chameleons 10-18 months should receive both twice a week. Chameleons 18+ months should receive both once a week.

Q. How much dust should I use?

The key is lightly dusting your crickets. Do not cake them! Over-supplementing is just as bad as under-supplementing.

Q. What about pre-formed Vitamin A?

If you are going to use pre-formed Vitamin A, we recommend Zoomed’s Reptivite. Use this sparingly. We recommend using this product once every 2 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do your chameleons get stressed during shipping?

No. We have been shipping chameleons nationwide and internationally for a very long time. We don’t take any short-cuts when it comes to our chameleons. Our shipping materials are both proven and professional. When done properly, the chameleon goes through very little, if any, stress at all.

Q. How long should I wait for my chameleon to climb out?

It can take several minutes for the chameleon to climb out. The key is giving them privacy so they feel safe. You can also try leaving the room and coming back. That usually does the trick.

Q. When do I offer food and water?

You should let the chameleon settle in for one hour before offering food and water. Prior to shipping, we make sure that our chameleons are well-fed and hydrated for the trip. Food is not as important as water on the first day, so just make sure that you offer water.

Q. What should I do next?

That’s it. You are still covered by our warranty so just observe and keep an eye on the following things:
Both eyes should stay open during the day.
Both eyes should bulge out of his/her head.
The chameleon should not be spending much time on the ground.
The chameleon should be alert.
Eating should start on the first or second day.

Q. What should I do if I think there is a problem with my chameleon?

Call us immediately. Do not guess, just call us no matter what. We’ve even setup a toll-free number for our customers at
(888) 486-5552 to address all questions and concerns.

Q. What if I want to return my order?

Returning your order is simple. All our chameleons come with a 10 Day Guarantee. Chameleons purchased with our Ultimate Setup Kit come with a 30 Day Guarantee. Just save everything that came with your chameleon including the box, insulation, and temperature pack. We will take care of the rest.

1. Never pick up a chameleon from above.

When handling a chameleon, you want the chameleon to be aware of you. When you approach them from behind or above, they get startled and go into a defensive mode. Avoid picking the chameleon up from behind as well. The video below illustrates what NOT to do.

2. Move slowly with a lifting motion.

Move very slowly and allow him to keep his eyes on you. Chameleons are slow moving creatures and sudden movements tend to startle them. The proper way to handle them is to start by sliding your hand under them, and then slowly lift up. If done properly, the chameleon should climb right onto your hand. The video below illustrates how to properly handle them.

3. Even the MOST aggressive can be handled.

4. Once on your hand, keep them elevated.

Chameleons seem to feel more secure when at or above eye level. You may even notice that they’ll begin climbing up. Be prepared to place another hand in front of them.

5. Do not hesitate and stay relaxed.

Like any other animal, they seem to have a sixth sense for fear. Try to stay relaxed and move smoothly.

What is Gut-Loading?

Gut-loading is the process of feeding your crickets a healthy diet.  It is absolutely essential in raising a healthy chameleon. We do this for two reason:

1. It will fill crickets up with nutritious items such as vegetables, grains and fruits. You can’t feed your panther chameleon these items, but crickets will eat it readily.  Your panther chameleon indirectly consumes these items by eating the crickets.
2. It will clean out the crickets system of any impurities. Often, crickets purchased at the pet store are feeding on food that has no nutritional content. In some cases, the crickets are feeding on cardboard & bedding. To some degree, gut-loading cleans the crickets.

Gut-loading can be accomplished in two ways. The first is buying commercial gut-loads. The second is preparing them yourself. Obviously there are pros and cons with the two methods. Below you will find a chart outlining the pros and cons.

Commercial Gut-Loads

As of this writing, we do not have a preferred vendor of choice when it comes to commercially-available gut-loads. We are not impressed with what is on the market. Having said that, gut-loading with what is available is definitely better than not gut-loading at all.

Self-Prepared Gut-Loads

Self-Prepared gut-loads are very much like salads. You’ll have to make sure the ingredients are cleaned before offering them to your crickets. Do not overfeed! Leafy greens can be rinsed off and offered in small amounts. Other veggies such as carrots and sweet potatoes should be cut into small pieces with a cheese grater. Below is a list of ingredients that can be used for a self-prepared gut-load:

Bare Essentials

• Leafy greens such as collard greens, mustard greens, lettuce (Not Iceberg Lettuce!)
• Carrots (grated)
• Oranges (sliced)
• Grains

Additional Ingredients

• Spirulina
• Bee pollen
• Dried Kelp
• Brewers yeast
• Melon

Timing Is Everything!

The key to gut-loading is feeding the crickets to your panther chameleon, while the ingredients are still fresh inside the crickets. Below is a schedule of when you should gut-load.

Tips

• In general, try gut-loading 4-6 hours prior to offering the crickets to your panther.
• It’s better to underfeed your crickets than overfeed.
• If you see left over food the next day, that means you fed to much.

Conclusion

This should be enough information to get you started on gut-loading. It was meant to be a quick guide, so many details were left out. If you are interested in reptile nutrition, you should also search the Web to find out how others are gut-loading. Thanks for reading!