Did you recently bring a panther chameleon into your home and are wondering how long it could live?
Are you interested in learning more about panther chameleons before you decide which species of chameleon you want to purchase?
If you have decided a panther chameleon might be the species for you, you might be wondering:
How long do panther chameleons live?
A panther chameleon in captivity can live anywhere from four to seven years with proper care and nutrition, but gender will also play a role.
Keep reading for more information about the life expectancy of a panther chameleon.
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The Lifespan of Panther Chameleons
In captivity, your panther chameleon can be expected to have an average lifespan of approximately four to seven years.
There are many cases, with proper care and diet, where a panther chameleon has lived past seven years.
A panther chameleon could live up to 10 years, but it really depends on how well they are cared for throughout their lives.
In the wild, these natives of Madagascar will have a much shorter life expectancy with a lifespan of only a couple of years.
This short lifespan is due to predators, diseases and harsh environmental conditions like a lack of food.
Do Males Or Female Panther Chameleons Live Longer?
If you want to have your panther chameleon for a longer length of time, your best bet is to bring a male member of the species into your home.
Female panther chameleons tend to have much shorter lifespans than their male counterparts because they have the added stress of laying eggs and producing young.
All chameleons, no matter the species, are easily stressed, and the stress plays a direct role in their lifespan.
Being pregnant and laying eggs is an especially stressful time for the female.
They are also more susceptible to diseases around the time of egg-laying because they are not eating as well and much of their strength goes into producing the eggs.
A female chameleon will still lay eggs with our without a male.
Her eggs do not have to be fertilized in order to lay them.
If you are looking to have your chameleon stick around for a while, make sure you purchase a male panther chameleon.
How To Increase The Lifespan Of A Panther Chameleon
The life expectancy we told you about might not seem like a long time to have a chameleon, especially when you are seeing thinking about just four years.
You might wonder if there are ways to help your chameleon stay healthy and live longer.
There are a few things you can do to prolong the life of a panther chameleon.
Here we break down a few tips for increasing the lifespan of your pet.
Food Quality
Giving your panther chameleon good quality food is a good way to keep them healthy and help them live longer.
The insects you feed your panther chameleon should be high in nutrition and free from disease.
A panther chameleon will primarily eat crickets, but including a variety of insects is beneficial for a well-rounded nutrition.
It is best to feed your panther chameleon insects you purchased from a pet store or online, rather than insects you find in your house or outside.
Insects you find in or around your home could have parasites or other diseases.
Those diseases and parasites are extremely harmful to a panther chameleon and will greatly reduce their lifespan.
Make sure you are gut loading and dusting your feeders to give your panther chameleon the best nutrition possible.
Genetics
This tip is a little bit harder to tell than some of the others, but good genetics are going to play a part in the lifespan of your pet.
One way to have a good handle on the genetics of your pet is to buy from a respected breeder.
They will be able to supply you with breeding information and provide you with information about the genetics of the panther chameleon you are looking at buying.
A breeder is more likely to have this information than a pet store you wander into.
Reduce Stress
As discussed above, chameleons are easily stressed, leading to a shortened life.
The environment is a major aspect of keeping your chameleon stress free.
If you can provide a stress-free environment for the panther chameleon in your home, you will give them a better chance of living longer.
But what does a stress-free environment mean?
One way to guarantee a stress-free environment is to make sure you have the proper size enclosure.
If the cage is too small, the chameleon will not be able to move around and when they cannot climb or move around vertically, they will definitely be stressed.
You can also reduce stress by not moving throughout the room too quickly or coming to pick up your panther chameleon from above.
The chameleon will interpret these actions as those of a predator and worry they are on the verge of being attacked.
Having other animals in your home can also be a trigger for a panther chameleon.
Dogs or cats can be seen as a threat by your chameleon.
If you have other pets, try to keep them away from the enclosure and out of the room as much as possible to avoid giving the chameleon anxiety.
Lighting
Chameleons need to have proper lighting in order to stay healthy and have long lives.
Because they are not constantly outside soaking up sunlight, they will need artificial lighting mimicking the sun.
Panther chameleons need UVA and UVB lights to help synthesize vitamin D3 and regulate behaviors.
UVB lights are available for specific use in reptile enclosures.
Conclusion
This colorful species of chameleon is a popular choice for a pet, and are easily available through breeders.
If you decide to add a panther chameleon to your home, you can expect the animal to live an average of four to seven years.
This will depend on a few things including the care you give it and its gender.
After reading this article, we hope you have a better idea of how long you can expect your panther chameleon to live.
