Carpet Chameleon

Carpet chameleon (Furcifer lateralis) occupies an interesting space in the reptile-keeping hobby. To me, it is an ideal species for a chameleon keeper. It is one of the most vibrantly colored species of chameleons in the world, remains a very manageable size, is highly prolific, and captive-bred animals are quite hardy.
And yet, even with all of these positive attributes, the chameleon has not caught on in the hobby because it has a somewhat undeserved reputation for being extremely delicate and short lived. In reality, carpet chameleons aren’t any more delicate than the ubiquitous panther chameleon (F. pardalis), as long as they are captive bred.

One of the best things about the carpet chameleon is its smaller size, which makes F. lateralis a great species for apartment dwellers and other hobbyists who have more limited space.

Adult carpets average only 4 inches snout to vent, and about twice that including the tail. There is usually no difference in size between males and females, although I have seen a few wild-caught males that were exceptionally large.