Check for signs of a healthy Panther Chameleon

Once you’ve found a breeder or pet store, you should look for a healthy chameleon to purchase. Even if you feel bad for a poorly cared for Panther Chameleon, you should never bring home a sickly one, especially if this is your first time to care for one as a pet. To spot a healthy Panther Chameleon, you need to be on the lookout for the following:

• Clear, bright and alert eyes. When the chameleon’s eyes are sunken, it could be dehydrated. Likewise, if the chameleon eyes are always closed, it could be sick.

• Straight limbs. Chameleons with bowed or bent legs may have metabolic bone illness.

• Strong grip on branches. A Panther Chameleon with a flexible casqued is not healthy.

• Clear, vivid coloration. While brown is a normal color on a chameleon’s skin, a dark shaded or crab-looking chameleon could be too cold or suffering from an illness.

• Clean mouth. When there are chees-like or green patches on the chameleon’s mouth, it could be suffering from mouth rot.

• Clear skin. The chameleons should not have any scratches, wounds or bruises. Dry skins or patches in the skin are signs of parasite infection.

• Alert disposition. Lethargic chameleons that have difficulty breathing and a lack of appetite may have a respiratory infection. Consequently, a chameleon which keeps making crackling noises when it is breathing, or keeps gaping its mouth, may also be suffering from a respiratory infection.

Make sure that you choose an active and alert Panther Chameleon. Chameleons are not keen on being held so if you are holding one and it is not resisting you by hissing or gaping its mouth, then it could be sick. Upon request, the breeder or the pet store staff can perform a routine fecal exam to determine if the chameleon has parasites and needs deworming. If you are choosing from a set of juveniles, you need to avoid the ones that are smaller than their siblings, because they may not be feeding well and growing slowly. Moreover, be sure to check the enclosures where the chameleons are kept. It is a sign of how they are being cared for. 

• Do not buy Panther Chameleons online. It is best to have a good look at the baby panther before you make a purchase so you can check if it is healthy or sick and injured. Additionally, chameleons fare poorly when they are shipped and the panther that you bought online could be stressed while being shipped, get sick or even die.