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3 Best Vivariums for a Panther Chameleon

Panther Chameleons are a lovely pet with some special requirements. They love climbing (Arboreal) and therefore need a tall enclosure to keep them happy. With that being said, what is the best enclosure? Let me explain…

What are the best Vivariums for Panther Chameleons? This one is ideal for Adult Panther Chameleons (Click to see the price on Amazon) it has the right height for an Adult. However, this one is ideal for a baby or Juvenile Panther (Click here for the price on Amazon). They are Arboreal climbing lovers, so they need a good height.

Now you know my best recommendations, let me give you a breakdown on all 3 of my best recommendations, but more importantly why I have selected them. Keep reading…

What is a panther chameleon?

A panther chameleon (Furcifer Pardalis) is a species of the Chameleon which is typically found in the eastern part of Madagascar There are other types or “locales” of chameleons (Click for my full article on the Mosoala Panther Chameleon ) that are available.

How big does a panther chameleon grow?

The male can grow up to 18 inches in length, however, the female can grow up to 14 inches in length. Weight wise you can expect them to grow up to 180 grams in body weight, slightly less for the female.

What is the ideal vivarium for a panther chameleon?

These lizards are what are known as “arboreal”, meaning that they love to climb in trees in their natural habitat. Therefore when you’re buying an enclosure it is important that you take this into consideration.

To achieve this you need to make sure that you buy a vivarium that is Tall. And when I say “tall”, for an adult Panther you need to have at least 36 inches tall. And for a baby or a juvenile, you need to have it ideally up to about 24 inches tall.

If you only have a female panther chameleon in the enclosure you may be able to get away with having it up to 24 inches tall, simply because the female is slightly shorter than the male.

The reasons for the tall enclosure is because of two main reasons, let me explain…

Reason Why they Need a Tall Enclosure

Firstly, as discussed earlier, they are arboreal meaning that they like to climb. So, they like a lot of decorations, branches, etcetera. They like it high up so that they can climb up and feel at home.

Secondly, they need a gradient of heat. Meaning that they need a hot basking area and they need a contrasting cool area to cool down.

This is because most lizards, like the Chameleon, are cold-blooded. This means they need to regulate their temperature by having periods in the hot areas and then a period in a contrasting cool area.

For that reason, you need to make sure that you have a tall enclosure so that you can meet these requirements.

Let me reveal my best 3 enclosures that meet these requirements…

Best Vivariums for Panther Chameleons

01. Best for Adults

Pros:

  • Tall (36 inches in height) – Ideal for Arboreal Lizards
  • Stainless Steel Mesh Cover for ventilation
  • Secure screen Cover lock – For safety

Cons:

  • Glass vulnerable to damage in transit

This one is ideal for Adult Panther Chameleons (Click to see the price on Amazon). It is a tall enclosure made especially for Lizards that love to climb (Arboreal Lizards), like Panthers. It has a cool stainless steel mesh top so you can improve ventilation.

In addition to this, it has two doors on the front of the enclosure for two reasons:

  • Ease of access
  • Aesthetics
  • Let me explain…

These doors allow you to easily access your pet lizard, especially if he is “Playing up” that day, are you with me? And personally, I just think it looks cool, don’t you agree?

 

02. Best for Babies or Juveniles

Pros:

  • Tall – Ideal for growing Panthers that love to Climb
  • Front window ventilation – To improve the air flow
  • Raised frame – So you can fit a substrate heater

Cons:

  • Large Gaps – Makes it hard to keep small insects like fruit in

This one is ideal for a baby or Juvenile Panther (Click for the price on Amazon). It is a great height for hatchlings, Babies or Juvenile Panthers. Enough room for them to grow into. More importantly, enough room for them to climb, because they love this.

The front window ventilation is great to improve the air flow in the terrarium. It also has a great little feature, which I think you will love. It has a slightly raised frame so you can fit a heater underneath (Click here for reviews on Amazon).

The only negative I would say is the large gaps. They look cool, but if you are planning on trying to lock in some really small insects, like fruit flies, they can easily escape.

 

03. Ideal For Baby or Juvenile Panthers

Pros:

  • Great Height (24 inches) – For Climbing Lizards
  • Tidy Slots – To make the cords hidden and attractive
  • Raised Bottom – To allow easy fitting of a heating pad
  • Front Venting – Great air circulation for some chameleons

Cons:

  • Quite Heavy – Will need some assistance moving it.

This one is another one ideal for a baby or Juvenile Panther (Click here for the price on Amazon). It is a great height for a baby or juvenile Panther Chameleons. It has some slots located around it to help you keep cords looking tidy and reduce clutter.

Front venting is also a great feature, especially for some chameleons. Also has a raised bottom so you can consider fitting a heating pad there if desired.

The only negatives I would say is it doesn’t have the easy access double doors like the last vivarium I discussed in the last section. Also, it comes in a great big box and is quite heavy, so you will need some assistance with it.

Be mindful, regardless of the weight and how big it is, you will need to consider replacing this as your Chameleon gets bigger. Once it reaches its full size, you will need an enclosure of at least 36 inches tall. You can refer to my first selection earlier for that.

Related questions:

Q: What water requirements do panther chameleons have?

They love to drink and they like to drink regularly. Therefore you need to provide water at least 2 or 3 times a day.

To achieve this you have 2 main options, let me explain…

  • Spray the enclosure manually (“Misting”)
  • Automated Dripper system

You can either manually spray water into the enclosure on the plants and this is called “misting”. This will allow them to lick the water droplets from the plants that drip into the enclosure.

However, if you want a more consistently reliable and automated way of doing this you can use a dripper system (click to see the price on Amazon) and this will allow you to drip feed water into the enclosure on automated basis freeing you up and allowing your lizards to have regular consistent water.

Be mindful that using a dripper system is convenient but it will cost you money to actually get this so if you’re on a budget then probably better off just getting a simple water bottle and spraying the enclosure on a daily basis.

Q: Do panther chameleons lay eggs?

Yes, they do latex however, you may be surprised that they do not always require a male to be there to actually lay eggs, let me explain…

Although this sounds quite weird to us humans, there are quite a few lizard species that are able to achieve this.

In a clutch, you can expect anywhere from 15 to 60+ eggs. And you can expect them to lay eggs a few times during the breeding season.

For this reason, regardless if you have a male panther chameleon enclosure or not, it is important to be prepared for eggs. This is because if you do not provide the correct environment, and they can’t lay the eggs she could encounter egg binding. This is quite dangerous because it can actually be fatal.