Common Name: Carpet Chameleon

Scientific Name: Furcifer lateralis

Food: Flies Crickets, Superworms, Waxworms, Butterworms, Small mealworms Insects that are fed to the chameleons should be fed a diet of: Leafy vegetables (especially kale) Squash, Waxbeans, Sweet potatoes, You should feed the insects at least 24 hours before feeding them to the chameleon.

Distribution: C Madagascar

Habitat: wet savannahs and both dry and humid forests as well as agricultural lands.

Color Discription: gray, brown and green. Coloration is striking with a highly complex mosaic patterning. The body markings are irregular. A circle of stripes radiates from the eye and a white lateral stripe (hence lateralis) is found along the midline of the body in both sexes. 3 - 4 large ocellations (oval spots) overlap this lateral stripe. These ocellations are more distinct in females. Receptive/gravid females can adopt various colors/patterns of pastel reds, oranges, yellows, blues with black, lavender and brown. Gravid female coloration is impressive. Males are discriminated on the basis of the hemipenal bulge at the base of the tail. Mature males tend to be slightly larger and more slender than the thicker bodied females. Females are often more brightly colored

Physical Discription: The low casque bears a sharp parietal crest but lacks occipital lobes. The relatively homogeneous scalation gives a smooth velvety texture. There are small dorsal, ventral and gular crests made of small, specialized, conical scales. No subspecies are known but there is considerable variability in size and color found among the various populations and habitats.

Size: 8"

Temperatures/Humidity: Daytime temperature 75ºF - 85ºF. Basking area temperature 90ºF. Nighttime temperature 65ºF - 75ºF. The humidity should be at 75% or higher. This can be done by frequent daily misting.

Breeding/Reproduction: Breeding programs with this highly prolific species have been successful although several breeders have observed considerably higher hatching rates in eggs from WC as compared to CB females. Adults are sexually mature at 3 months and they are year round breeders, producing from 3-6 clutches per year. Introduce the female to the male's cage to determine if she is receptive to mating. Remove and try again later if the female gapes or exibits vivid, threatening coloration. Receptive females adopt a light pastel coloration. A courting male will brighten in color, bob, twitch and approach and then mount. Copulation (10-20 min.)is terminated by the female. Either animal may become aggressive and biting (This is not uncommon) after copulation. Separate the animals after successful copulation. When gravid, the female will turn from light pastel coloration to a vivid, darker (with black patterns) coloration within 24-48 hrs. During early gestation appetite increases but tapers after a couple of weeks. The female may stop feeding 3 - 6 days before laying and may exhibit increased pacing and agitation. Gestation can be 24-32 days but sometimes females will carry eggs up to 45 - 50 days if a suitable laying site is not provided. The laying receptacle should contain a moist mixture of 50% peat/sand or moist potting soil. Tunnel excavation can be 4" or deeper. This species often makes no attempt to bury eggs and may simply scatter the eggs on the bottom of cage. Between 10 - 20 eggs are laid but smaller or larger clutches can occur. Remove the eggs and incubate them using the standard technique in a slightly moist vermiculite medium in Tupperware or other suitable incubation container. Various incubation methods have been used with success. These include: Incubation at 68ºF - 74ºF for 5-7 months. Add moisture sparingly. Incubation at 65ºF - 78ºF. No moisture added. Hatching after 7 - 9 months. Diapuse method: Incubation at 77ºF for 45 - 60 days and then at 55ºF - 60ºF for 30 days followed by 77ºF - 82ºF until hatching in 100 - 115 days after the end of the cool temperatures. In each case there is a slight drop in temperatures of 5ºF - 10ºF at night. If the animals were CB (Captive Breed) use the breeder's incubation temperatures. If WC (Wild Caught), try to mimic the temperatures of the locale from which the animals were collected, including the imposition of a diapause. Females may breed again two weeks after egg laying but retained sperm can produce 2 - 3 viable clutches from a single mating. However, it is recommended that the female be re-mated after the 2nd clutch for a greater fertility rate. The young should be reared at 77ºF - 84ºF daytime temperatures with a 5ºF - 7ºF temperature drop at night. Hydration should be done by multiple mistings per day. The plants rather than the babies should be sprayed as water droplets on the snout may cause the asphyxiation of small hatchlings. Hatchlings eat pinhead crickets and fruit flies. They grow rapidly and mature in 60 - 75 days. The young can be raised in small groups for around 50 days but they will do better if housed individually. Sexing is difficult in the young but can usually be determined at around 3 weeks of age by a noticeable hemipenal bulge under the male's tail.

Cage Setup: This species is best kept individually. Males are highly aggressive, asocial and notoriously territorial. Females are easily stressed. This is a "hands-off" species for most keepers. Caging requirements include a minimum 24" x 16" x 16". Furcifer lateralis is a notorious screen climber. Do not use fine screen which can cause toe and claw damage. This species has been successfully maintained in 20 - 30 gallon (high) tank. But this is not advisable due to the inherent difficulty in providing adequate ventilation in such terraria. The combination of a small ficus tree (Ficus benjemina) and silk plants is excellent in providing the security a chameleon needs. The use of other branches is suggested to increase the options of climbing surfaces.

Water: A drip system on top of the habitat will allow a single drop of water to fall every few seconds. The drip system works best when water drips onto a leaf allowing the chameleon to drink at their leisure.

Special Needs: UVB flourescent lighting is a necessity. Cages should be well planted with various size branches (one near basking spot). This is a sun lover that should be exposed to natural sunlight.