Panther Chameleon (male)*
Color of life note: The Panther Chameleon uses cryptic coloration (conceals or disguises an animal's shape) by changing the colors of its skin to make them look similar to its surroundings.
This change occurs through active tuning of a lattice of guanine nanocrystals within a superficial thick layer of dermal iridophores. These nanocrystal act like the structural lattice of the Blue Morpho butterfly but in the chameleon the nanocrystal are moved to create different color reflections of structural light.
Reference: nature www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150302/ncomms7368/full/ncomms7...
TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia (snakes, worm lizards, lizards, alligators, caimans, crocodiles, tortoises, turtles, and tuataras)
Order: Squamata (scaled reptiles, all lizards and snakes)
Family: Chamaeleonidae Chameleons
Genus/species: Furcifer pardalis
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: This arboreal species has a laterally compressed body, prehensile tail, zygodactylous feet, protruding eyes covered with muffler-like lids, independent eye rotation and an extensile tongue. Male colors males may include orange, red and dark green, with a hugely variable patterning of coloured bands, stripes and spots, especially around the head and eyes. Males length to 23 cm (9.06 in). Female panther chameleons are mostly dull, uniform grey, brown or faint green, except during breeding when brighter colors are displayed. Female length to 13 cm (5 in).
DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Endemic to Madagascar, the panther chameleon is found in lowland areas of the northeast and east, where it is locally abundant. They prefer humid disturbed scrub and forest.
DIET IN THE WILD: The panther chameleon forages diurnally for insects, small vertebrates and vegetation.
REPRODUCTION: The female lays 10 to 46 eggs after about 45 days following copulation and can produce four clutches of eggs per year. Young hatch 4 to 9 months later, depending on climatic conditions. Growth is rapid with sexual maturity reached at 6 to 9 months.
CONSERVATION: IUCN Red List No Special Status. CITES Appendix II. In 1998, 34,000 wild-taken of this species were exported from Madagascar for the pet trade. CITES established an export quota of 2,000 in 1999. The facts that this chameleon has populated disturbed areas and is one of the few chameleons that is bred outside of Madagascar on a commercial basis have supported its survival rate.
REMARKS:
•Like chameleons in general, they have a variable color that can change due to alterations in light, heat and emotional state. Sexes are dichromatic rather than dimorphic.
•Chameleons also are known for their unusual grasping feet ideally adapted to climbing and for their long tongues that, missile-like, can project to remarkable distance to capture prey.
•The independent rotation of their eyes allows chameleons to see where they’re going and where they’ve been at the same time or even to recognize a prey item in the foreground and a predator behind.
Madagascar MA10
References
California Academy of Sciences Rainforest Docent Training Manual 2014
nature www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150302/ncomms7368/full/ncomms7...
Animal Diversity Web (ADW) animaldiversity.org/accounts/Furcifer_pardalis/
Arkive www.arkive.org/panther-chameleon/furcifer-pardalis/
Ron's flickr www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/2982160266/in/album-721...
Ron's Wordpress Shortlink wp.me/p1DZ4b-zQ
7-18-12, 11-1-14, 8-28-15, *5-1-16 Not on exhibit
Panther Chameleon (male)*
Color of life note: The Panther Chameleon uses cryptic coloration (conceals or disguises an animal's shape) by changing the colors of its skin to make them look similar to its surroundings.
This change occurs through active tuning of a lattice of guanine nanocrystals within a superficial thick layer of dermal iridophores. These nanocrystal act like the structural lattice of the Blue Morpho butterfly but in the chameleon the nanocrystal are moved to create different color reflections of structural light.
Reference: nature www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150302/ncomms7368/full/ncomms7...
TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia (snakes, worm lizards, lizards, alligators, caimans, crocodiles, tortoises, turtles, and tuataras)
Order: Squamata (scaled reptiles, all lizards and snakes)
Family: Chamaeleonidae Chameleons
Genus/species: Furcifer pardalis
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: This arboreal species has a laterally compressed body, prehensile tail, zygodactylous feet, protruding eyes covered with muffler-like lids, independent eye rotation and an extensile tongue. Male colors males may include orange, red and dark green, with a hugely variable patterning of coloured bands, stripes and spots, especially around the head and eyes. Males length to 23 cm (9.06 in). Female panther chameleons are mostly dull, uniform grey, brown or faint green, except during breeding when brighter colors are displayed. Female length to 13 cm (5 in).
DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Endemic to Madagascar, the panther chameleon is found in lowland areas of the northeast and east, where it is locally abundant. They prefer humid disturbed scrub and forest.
DIET IN THE WILD: The panther chameleon forages diurnally for insects, small vertebrates and vegetation.
REPRODUCTION: The female lays 10 to 46 eggs after about 45 days following copulation and can produce four clutches of eggs per year. Young hatch 4 to 9 months later, depending on climatic conditions. Growth is rapid with sexual maturity reached at 6 to 9 months.
CONSERVATION: IUCN Red List No Special Status. CITES Appendix II. In 1998, 34,000 wild-taken of this species were exported from Madagascar for the pet trade. CITES established an export quota of 2,000 in 1999. The facts that this chameleon has populated disturbed areas and is one of the few chameleons that is bred outside of Madagascar on a commercial basis have supported its survival rate.
REMARKS:
•Like chameleons in general, they have a variable color that can change due to alterations in light, heat and emotional state. Sexes are dichromatic rather than dimorphic.
•Chameleons also are known for their unusual grasping feet ideally adapted to climbing and for their long tongues that, missile-like, can project to remarkable distance to capture prey.
•The independent rotation of their eyes allows chameleons to see where they’re going and where they’ve been at the same time or even to recognize a prey item in the foreground and a predator behind.
Madagascar MA10
References
California Academy of Sciences Rainforest Docent Training Manual 2014
nature www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150302/ncomms7368/full/ncomms7...
Animal Diversity Web (ADW) animaldiversity.org/accounts/Furcifer_pardalis/
Arkive www.arkive.org/panther-chameleon/furcifer-pardalis/
Ron's flickr www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/2982160266/in/album-721...
Ron's Wordpress Shortlink wp.me/p1DZ4b-zQ
7-18-12, 11-1-14, 8-28-15, *5-1-16 Not on exhibit