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