Petter's chameleon (Furcifer petteri)

Short answers

Petter's chameleon: How big does the enclosure need to be?

60×60×90 cm (mesh / height).

Petter's chameleon: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 24–29 °C, basking spot 32 °C, at night 17–21 °C.

Petter's chameleon: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 5.0–10.0).

Petter's chameleon: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 2–4 years.

Petter's chameleon: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

24–29 °C

Night temperature

17–21 °C

Basking spot

32 °C

Humidity

65–80 %

UVB

Essential (UVB 5.0–10.0)

Enclosure

Minimum size

60×60×90 cm (mesh / height)

Substrate

Coco humus, planting, fine branches, a rain system

Feeding

Food

House crickets, crickets, flies, wax moths

Feeding interval

daily to every other day

Key facts

Adult size

12–17 cm total length

Life expectancy

2–4 years

Origin

Northern Madagascar (Montagne d'Ambre)

Protection status

CITES II

Brumation

A cooler dry spell of 6–8 weeks

Cohabitation

Keep them singly. Chameleons are pronounced loners, and even the mere sight of another of their kind means constant stress — you can see it in dark colouring, refusal to feed and weakened defences. Males fight in earnest, and females are harassed by males. So screen neighbouring enclosures from each other as well. For breeding, introduce the female briefly, stay with them and separate them again afterwards.

Notes

The male has two striking white nasal appendages. A small range in northern Madagascar; rare in captivity and dependent on captive breeding.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Angel's chameleon (Furcifer angeli) – Expert
• Antimena chameleon (Furcifer antimena) – Intermediate to expert
• Campan's chameleon (Furcifer campani) – Expert
• Unicorn chameleon (Furcifer monoceras) – Expert
• Forked chameleon (Furcifer bifidus) – Expert
• Belted chameleon (Furcifer balteatus) – Expert
• Minor chameleon (Furcifer minor) – Expert
• Labord's chameleon (Furcifer labordi) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Petter's chameleon (Furcifer petteri) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (60×60×90 cm (mesh / height)), substrate (Coco humus, planting, fine branches, a rain system), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.