Regions

[choriona]

But I am wondering if this difference in color is in fact the beginnings of a new species. Distinctive traits between many chameleons are morphological, like different rosette or scaling patterns, rostral projections, overall body size, or dorsal spines. My understanding is that chameleons change their colors by hormonal control of the skin pigments. How many they have of one color compared to another is the same as a person having freckles and another having very pale skin. It is just caused by pigments in the dermis.
Another comparison may be hair and skin color seen in humans. Interbreeding is common and without ill effects to the offspring. These color variations are just random non-survivalist traits. Mates may be selected on these grounds, but it may just come down to what is available. In any case, the genes are readily mixed and accepted between a blonde haired person and a brunette. Sure, they had some sort of evolutionary significance at the time these traits evolved, but these traits are not strong determinants of overall fitness.
The fact that chameleons use deception as a defense against predators does make their ability to display different colors a desirable trait. Now I may sound a little stupid here, as I have no experience with the different locales, but I am assuming that they are all able to flash through the same palate of colors and all exhibit certain patterns that are meant to relay a message of sorts to other things encountered in their environment. If the relaxed state color/pattern is the only thing unique between them, how is it any different?
If these panthers of different regions do readily intermingle, are able to communicate with their bodies and understand one another, can produce viable offspring...etc, are they even close to being labeled a sub-species?
If they are becoming isolated from one another due to loss of habitat at the fringes, how is it right to promote this isolation when in so many other cases the same situation leads to extinction of a species. Is keeping the localities a conservation of monetary gain or is it a true conservation effort to preserve the species as a whole?