Panther CHAMELEON FURCIFER PARDALIS

DESCRIPTION

CLIMATE / HABITAT

SE

MIA

RID

MA

DA

GA

SC

AR

DIA

NA

/ SA

VA / A

NA

LAN

JIFOR

O /

ATS

INA

NA

NA

(reg

ions of Mad

agas-

TRO

PC

IAL W

ET

TRO

PIC

AL W

ET A

ND

DR

Y

Its first generic name, furcifer, is analoguous to the animal’s feet forked form. It ’s second name, pardalis, stands for spotted, like the pattern of its skin color. The panther chameleon is one of the largest of its family, reaching sometimes over 50cm in length. The whole body is covered with various oval scales that change levels to conical scales at places on his body, like the dorsal and gular crest. The main particularity of the chameleon skin is its ability to change color, adapting to its both his environment and own behavior.

These animals live exclusively in coastal eastern Madagascar. These areas are warm and humid, with average temperature from 22C to 28C. The rela-tive humidity is between 70% and 100% throughout the year.The panther chameleon has no preferences for their habitat. They can be found anywhere, on schrubs, trees, electrical wiring , sand beaches, etc. The only limit-ing factors seem to be food abundance and sufficiant warmth and light.

CH

AM

ELE

ON

IDA

E

BR

OO

KE

SIIN

EA

(sub

family of cham

eleonidae)

NECAS, Petr. Chameleons : Nature’S hidden jewels, Edition Chimaira, Malabar FL, 1999, 348p.BADGER, John . Lizards : A natural history of some uncommon creatures, Voyager Press, Vancouver, 2002, p. 92-93

SKIN LAYERING

ME

LAN

OP

HO

RE

resp

onsible for b

lue

and b

lack coloration

ER

YTHR

OP

HO

RE

_resp

onsible for red

coloration

XA

NTH

OP

HO

RE

_resp

onsible for yellow

coloration

DE

RM

IS

EP

IDE

RM

IS

Panther CHAMELEON FURCIFER PARDALIS

NECAS, Petr. Chameleons : Nature’S hidden jewels, Edition Chimaira, Malabar FL, 1999, 348p. ‘‘A few things to consider when picking a chameleon for purchase’’, Chameleon Northwest, n.d., Web. September 2013

CHAMPION, V. M. Fernandez., H. Ruano, A. Vienet-Legué. La peau du caméléon et l’e! et de la lumière sur celle-ci. n.d. Web. September 2013‘‘La morphologie du caméléon’’, Tanahaly, 2006, Web. September 2013

ANDERSON, Christopher. ‘‘Historic and Contemporary ! eories on Chameleon Color Change’’, Chameleon News, 2002-2012, Web. eptember 2013

Melanophore’s cytoplasm contains a black pigment - melamine. When the melanin spreads homogeneously across the entire skin, the skin blackens. Xanothophores and Erythrophores are much smaller cells than Melanophores. They are responsible for yellow and red pigmentation by repositioning pigment granules in their cytoplasm, as described for Melanophores. Resulting skin coloration depends on the overlapping effects of colors from individual chromatophores (xanopthophores & erythrophores) and on the degree and sort of melainin distribution in the melanophores.

SCALE TYPES_BAR PATTERN

Panther CHAMELEON FURCIFER PARDALIS

CO

NIC

AL S

CA

LES

_ gular crest

CO

NIC

AL S

CA

LES

_ dorsal crest

OVA

L SC

ALE

S _ b

ody

V bar p

attern

U b

ar pattern

NECAS, Petr. Chameleons : Nature’S hidden jewels, Edition Chimaira, Malabar FL, 1999, 348p.BADGER, John . Lizards : A natural history of some uncommon creatures, Voyager Press, Vancouver, 2002, p. 92-93

‘‘A few things to consider when picking a chameleon for purchase’’, Chameleon Northwest, n.d., Web. September 20-29‘‘Morphologie du caméléon’’ Hazecameleoncalyptratus, 2009, Web. September 2013

ANDERSON, Christopher. ‘‘Historic and Contemporary ! eories on Chameleon Color Change’’, Chameleon News, 2002-2012, Web. eptember 2013

WATER DRAINAGE

Panther CHAMELEON FURCIFER PARDALIS

direction of w

ater_drip

ping

/ flowing

in b

etween scales

BADGER, John . Lizards : A natural history of some uncommon creatures, Voyager Press, Vancouver, 2002, p. 36-38

EXTERNAL FACTORS

INTERNAL FACTORS PASSIVE

ACTIVE

TEMPERATURE

HEALTH

SENSING DANGER

LIGHT INTENSITY + SPECTRUMTIME OF THE DAYSEASON OF THE YEAR

GESTATIONNUTRITIONAL STATUS

MOODINTRASPECIFIC COMMUNICATIONINTERSPECIFIC DIFFERENTATION

MALE

FEMALE

_LESS HEAT AB

SORPTIO

N

_MO

RE HEAT AB

SORPTIO

N- +

- +

_LOW

ER ENVIRO

NM

ENT TEM

PERATURE

_HIG

ER ENVIRO

NM

ENT TEM

PERATURE- +

- +

SKIN COLORATION

- +

saturation / intensity of contrast

Panther CHAMELEON FURCIFER PARDALIS

NECAS, Petr. Chameleons : Nature’S hidden jewels, Edition Chimaira, Malabar FL, 1999, 348p.ANDERSON, Christopher. ‘‘Historic and Contemporary ! eories on Chameleon Color Change’’, Chameleon News, 2002-2012, Web. eptember 2013

CHAMPION, V. M. Fernandez., H. Ruano, A. Vienet-Legué. La peau du caméléon et l’e! et de la lumière sur celle-ci. n.d. Web. September 2013‘‘La morphologie du caméléon’’, Tanahaly, 2006, Web. September 2013