Animal Education 24 - Panther Chameleon

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Today, I will discuss a creature shown here by what is not a Safari Figure. I know, crazy.

This is the Panther Chameleon. It is a very colorful plush, but the real one is not that far off. Wild Republic does make some great stuffed animals. Anyway, you may have seen other panther chameleons that are not nearly as colorful because they change color to camouflage, right? Well, no, actually, chameleons usually only change color to show emotion. They get bright like this plush when angry, especially males in the breeding seasons. Most chameleons' base colors provide camouflage along with their strange movements. These movements they do resemble leaves and sticks blowing in the breeze. So, the Chameleons do change color, but not to camouflage. Outside of that, most chameleons do follow the "status quo." They have independently moved eyes, which they use to spot predators and the insects they catch with long sticky tongues. They also are usually mainly greenish and live in trees in Madagascar, Africa, and surrounding areas. However, they have been introduced into the United States. This species, in particular, is rampant in Florida. People release their pets into the wild where they shouldn't be. This threatens native wildlife. So basically, please don't get a pet you can't/won't take care of or bring it to a rescue that can take care of it or rehome it. This species is the least concerned, so don't worry too much about people who have them as pets. They are popular pets as they only get to 16-20in. long and are easier to take care of than other chameleons. This is not saying much, though, as chameleons often need the most vet care and get sick much easier than other reptiles.

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