PANTHER CHAMELEON

PANTHER CHAMELEON


The Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) is a species of Chameleon found in the eastern and northern parts of Madagascar in a tropical forest biome. Additionally, it has been introduced to the other parts of the world.

The Panther Chameleon was first described by French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1829. Its generic name (Furcifer) is derived from the Latin root furci meaning "forked" and refers to the shape of the animal's feet. The specific name pardalis refers to the animals' markings, as it is Latin for "leopard" or "spotted like a panther". The English word chameleon derives from Latin chamaeleō, a borrowing of the Ancient Greek (khamailéōn), a compound of (khamaí) "on the ground" and (léōn) "lion". The Greek word is a calque translating to "ground lion". This lends to the common English name of "Panther Chameleon".

Male Panther Chameleons can grow up to17 centimetres (6.7 inches) to 20 centimetres (7.9 inches) in length. Females are smaller, at about half the size. In a form of sexual dimorphism, males are more vibrantly coloured than the females. Colouration varies with location and the different colour patterns of Panther Chameleons are commonly referred to as 'locales' which are named after the geographical location in which they are found.

It is a common misconception that Chameleons of any kind can change colour to match any colour of their environments. All chameleons have a natural colour range with which they are born, and is dictated by their species. On contrary, it is affected by temperature and mood of the animals and the type of light present on the occasion. For example, if the colour purple is not within the range of colours to which their particular species can change, then they will never turn purple.

Panther chameleons generally reach sexual maturity at a minimum age of seven months.


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