a few things to consider when picking a chameleon for purchase: Simple visual inspection: HYDRATION AND WEIGHT You want to choose a chameleon that is well fed and hydrated. Look for a slightly rounded casque on top of the head and well rounded, slightly protruding, eye turrets. These two areas will be indicative of good hydration. Sunken head casque and sunken eyes suggest poor hydration or emaciation. In addition, you want the rear hip area to be nice and smooth, not bony. A smoothly padded area indicates a chameleon with proper fat storage. A bony hip area suggests a poorly fed chameleon or one who does not eat well. These pictures show dehydration vs proper hydration in a panther chameleon (Furcifer Pardalis), but the same holds true for any chameleon. Both chameleons have smooth hip areas, indicating that they feed well. (The chameleon on the left is a fresh import with common hydration issues. You definitely don't want to see this in a captive bred animal, or an imported animal that's been in-country for more than a few days.)  
ACTIVITY The chameleon should be somewhat active during the day, and a good eater and drinker. Avoid animals that are asleep during the day, resting on the bottom of the cage, or laying in the plant pot. The tail should be able to coil around branches. The front legs and and feet should be able to grip a branch and support the chameleon's weight. Note: it is normal for a chameleon to pace and climb the walls and ceiling while acclimating to a new cage. If your cham is restless when you get him home don't worry, just give him time to settle down. Avoid animals that are not using all their limbs, are favoring a particular limb or foot, or have swollen limbs or joints. SKIN I guess it goes without saying that a chameleon's outer surface should be free of lesions, black areas, or swollen areas. Realize, however, that there may be light surface abrasions from a recent shed, or signs of tiny healed wounds on the scales (normally from crickets). As long as these areas are small, healed, and the tissue looks healthy, they should not be an issue. EYES The eyes should be clear and bright and free of discharge. There should not be bags of skin below the eyes or puffy folds of skin or lumps around the eyes. BAR PATTERNS Chameleons are kind of like snowflakes in that no 2 have the exact same dot and bar pattern. Each panther chameleon can display changing coloration, but their individual bar pattern remains the same. An Ambilobe panther chameleon will normally have a distinct "V" bar on each side (highlighted in white in photo). Same for Ambanjas, Nosy Faly, and many other panther chameleons (but not all). A Sambava Panther chameleon is normally distinguished by a distinct "U" shaped bar on each side. These descriptions are not true for all individuals, but are a guide for what is usually desired. (A solid blue Nosy Be Panther chameleon might not show any distinguishable bar pattern on its side.)  
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