Image Credit : Canvas Chameleons
The male Furcifer petteri are green with lateral white stripes and white lips and have two parallel muzzle appendages. The female specimens are slightly smaller than the males, and have similar coloration. They have no or very little snout appendages.
The female Furcifer petteri are changing colors when they get excited. A bright lemon yellow as the base color with slightly günen spots, two light blue dots on each side and a red top of the head.
- Scientific name : Furcifer petteri
- Distribution : Joffreville (North Madagascar)
- Average Size : 0.15 m (0.5 ft)
- Life Span : 4 years or more
- Difficulty : Advanced
Housing
Adults should be housed in nothing smaller than a 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.5 meters (1.2 x 1.2 x 1.6 feet) screen cage, preferably 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.8 meters (1.2 x 1.2 x 2.5 feet).
Live plants are preferred for this species to provide cover as well as increased humidity within the cage.
Small ¼” diameter sticks should be placed horizontally within the cage to provide resting areas and basking areas.
Hide box
No hide box is required. Live plant cover is ideal for hiding.
Substrate
No substrate is required. Females will require a laying bin for depositing of eggs.
This bin should contain 0.15-0.20 meters (0.45-0.6 feet) of a sand/soil mixture and be placed within the cage. Most females will dig a tunnel to the bottom before laying their eggs and once complete dig themselves back to the surface.
Lighting – Heating
Basking and UVB are both required. For lighting I recommend HO T5 double fixtures with 6% Arcadia UVB bulb and a 6.5k Daylight bulb. Basking areas should be separated from the UVB area and have a temperature 29-31 ºC (84-88 ºF). Ambient temperatures of the cage should remain in the 23-25 ºC (74-76 ºF) during the day and drop to the 19-20 ºC (67-69 ºF) at night. Lights should be set to run on a 12 hours on, 12 hours off cycle.
Water
As many other species of chameleons, Furcifer Petteri will drink off standing leaves to obtain hydration. 5-15 minute misting 3-4 times a day is ideal. Shorter misting times are acceptable but at a minimum their cages should receive 2-3 misting a day for a period of 1-2 minutes each.
The cage should have time to dry out prior to the lights going off for the night.
Humidity
Ambient humidity ranges from 50-60% which spikes after misting up into the 90%. Night time humidity should remain as high as possible.
Feeding
Feed 6-7 days a week. Smaller feeders are preferred. Crickets, bean beetles, fruit flies, and house flies.
All feeders should be properly gut loaded as well as dusted with calcium supplements.
Handling
Being a smaller species handling isn’t recommended. They will tolerate it for short periods of time but overexposure should be avoided.
Cleaning
Clean fecal matter from bottom of cage daily if any and every month completely clean the enclosure with Hydrogen Peroxide and White vinegar from top to bottom. This is completely safe for Chameleons and with rinse off very easily.
Shedding
Furcifer petteri shed approximately once a month. No ad is necessary, humidity and misting is sufficient for shedding.
Potential Health Problems
Furcifer petteri are susceptible to common health issues related to chameleons. These being upper respiratory infections, general infections, egg binding and stress related issues.
All of these issues can be prevented with proper care and husbandry but should any of them arise a trip to the vet for proper diagnosis and treatment will be required.
Source
The information contained in this care sheet reflect the opinions and methods of the mentioned breeder, based on their expertise and long-established experience.