– MAY 9 –
INTERNATIONAL CHAMELEON DAY celebrateS and raisES awareness about one of the planet’s most unique and engaging reptiles
CHAMELEONS
Wildlife Madagascar launched this animal appreciation day in 2024 to highlight the remarkable diversity of chameleon species and shed light on the challenges they face in the wild. During this year’s 2nd Annual International Chameleon Day, we are excited to honor these unique, extraordinary, and beautiful animals. Chameleons definitely deserve their day in the sun: they aren’t like any other species on Earth, they capture people’s imaginations, and they are in need of protection. We hope International Chameleon Day will encourage more people to appreciate and admire chameleons.
What are the goals of International Chameleon Day?
This annual celebration is a day dedicated to recognizing chameleons. Along with more than 40 partner organizations, Wildlife Madagascar seeks to inspire collective education, action, and advocacy on behalf of chameleons in order to protect these remarkable reptiles. International Chameleon Day invites people to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of chameleons while encouraging a sense of responsibility for their conservation and the preservation of their habitats.
Who can participate?
Anyone! International Chameleon Day provides an opportunity for individuals, conservation organizations, zoos and aquariums, and community groups worldwide to come together, share knowledge, and take action to safeguard the future of chameleons.
Share International Chameleon Day on social media with these hashtags:
#show your colors #internationalchameleonday #chameleonday #chameleondayMay9
GET TO KNOW CHAMELEONS
Download the Infographic here:
a few fun chameleon facts
- Chameleons have eyes that can move separately from each other. Each eye can look at something different.
- Chameleons don’t really change color to match what they are sitting on, and they cannot change to just any color or pattern. Instead, each chameleon species has certain patterns and colors that it can show on its skin.
- There are more than 200 species of chameleons, and almost half of them live in Madagascar.
- In many chameleons, their fully extended tongue is longer than their body, allowing them to catch prey that is some distance away.
- Chameleon species come in many sizes. The largest, Parson’s chameleon and Oustalet’s chameleon, can both be 2 feet long. The smallest, the nano chameleon, is about the size of a sunflower seed.
chameleon photos (downloadable)
Download images from here
CHAMELEON HABITATS
WHERE ARE CHAMELEONS FOUND IN MADAGASCAR?
Chameleons are versatile and adaptable lizards, and they live in a surprising variety of habitats. Take a look at the map below to see where some of them are found on the island of Madagascar!
Madagascar’s tropical rainforest habitat is found mainly on the eastern side of the island between tall mountains to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east. Warm air from the ocean is kept in the eastern region by the mountain ranges, creating a warm, humid climate ideal for tropical rainforest plants. The rich plant diversity includes over 300 species of ferns and more than 40 species of palms. More than 100 inches (254 centimeters) of rain fall on Madagascar’s rainforests annually, and the dry season is short, lasting less than two months. Chameleons that live in this habitat include Parson’s chameleon (Calumma parsonii), panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis), Brookesia superciliaris and Brookesia therezieni.
Madagascar’s montane forests are typically found between elevations of 600 meters to 1,300 meters in the central highlands. This habitat is characterized by cooler temperatures, high rainfall, and potential for mist and fog. They contain a diverse mix of evergreen and thick-leaved trees, often with a dense understory of epiphytes, mosses, ferns, and orchids. Some chameleons that make their home in the heights include Brookesia nana, Calumma crypticum, Furcifer campani, and Furcifer lateralis.
The Madagascar spiny forest, also known as the spiny thicket, is a unique ecoregion in southern Madagascar, characterized by its arid to semi-arid climate and distinctive, spiny vegetation adapted to harsh conditions, including drought-resistant plants with adaptations like spines, succulent trunks, and reduced leaves. It is dominated by plants of the Didiereaceae Family, which is endemic to Madagascar. These species look like cacti but they are unrelated. Unlike cacti, Didiereaceae produce small deciduous leaves protected by sharp spines. Several chameleon species, including the warty chameleon (Furcifer verrucosus), Labord’s chameleon (Furcifer labordi), and Belalanda chameleon (Furcifer belalandaensis), are found in the spiny forests of Madagascar.
Madagascar’s coastal forests occupy a narrow strip of land along the eastern coast, any forests within 3km of the coastline. The climate is warm and humid, due to the influence of the oceanic trade winds and high levels of rainfall. These forests are characterized by a dense canopy of trees with a mix of diverse species, including those adapted to sandy soils and salty conditions near the shoreline. Two chameleon species found here are the panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) and the Parson’s chameleon (Calumma parsonii).
Madagascar’s high-altitude scrub, found above 1,800 meters (5,900 ft), has lower levels of rainfall and cool, windy conditions that limit vegetation growth. Thin, rocky soils result in an open, tundra-like cover dominated by dense thickets of shrubs, miniature palms, bamboos, and terrestrial orchids. Chameleons that live here include jeweled chameleon (Furcifer campani), Calumma hilleniusi, and some Brookesia species.
Madagascar’s dry deciduous forests, found primarily in the western and southern parts of the island, are characterized by a tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons, where trees lose their leaves during the dry season. Most of the rainfall occurs between October and April. Tree species in this habitat include baobabs, Pachypodium, Dalbergia, Cassia, and Ficus. The chameleons found here include Labord’s chameleon (Furcifer labordi), Antsingy leaf chameleon (Brookesia perarmata), pygmy stump-tailed chameleon (Brookesia stumpffi), and rhinoceros chameleon (Furcifer rhinoceratus).
Within Madagascar’s dry deciduous forests, limestone pinnacles known as “tsingy” are found. These unique, jagged formations, often described as “stone forests,” formed by erosion and weathering over millions of years. Even in this less-than-hospitable habitat you can find chameleons, like Brookesia brygooi, Brookesia perarmata, Brookesia exarmata, and Furcifer nicosiai in the Tsingy de Bemaraha limestone forest.
CHAMELEON BEHAVIOR
chameleons are marvels of adaptation
The physical characteristics of chameleons make them quite different from other types of lizards—and they have a variety of fascinating behaviors that make them even more unique.
On the Hunt
Eyes on the Prize
Most chameleons are carnivorous, and their diet is typically made up of invertebrates, although some large species will also eat small birds or lizards. Large chameleons can eat 20 to 30 insects in a day. In cooler environments, most lizards need to warm themselves up to have the energy to move and hunt. Interestingly, chameleons are not constrained by lower temperatures. Research has shown that their tongue works efficiently over a wide range of temperatures, because the tongue’s firing mechanisms rely on an elastic energy system that performs better at lower temperatures than normal muscles. This gives chameleons an advantage over other types of lizards and allows them to thrive in a wider range of habitats, including cool montane forest environments.
Ready, Set, Launch!
The process of prey capture takes place in four phases. The distance to the prey item is assessed, and the primed tongue begins to emerge slowly, looking almost like the chameleon is blowing bubblegum. Accelerating muscles arranged in rings around the tongue, like a coil, push the tongue out at up to 1,600 ft (490 m) per second. The tongue can extend up to one and a half times the length of the chameleon’s body, hit and adhere to a small, sometimes moving target, and then retract back into the mouth, all in the blink of an eye.
The tongue’s range can be controlled somewhat by tendons that slow it prior to hitting the prey and helping cushion the impact. The tongue pad is covered with thick saliva, and it has a trailing flap of skin. They prey is gripped by suction, and then the flap continues the forward motion to wrap around the item. To pull the prey back, retractor muscles at the back of the tongue contract and draw in the tongue. The chameleon then automatically shuts its jaws on the item and begins chewing and swallowing.
seeing is believing
The Better to See You With
Chameleons have a unique way of looking at the world. Each eye has a scaly, continuous lid shaped like a cone, with only a small, round opening in the middle for the pupil. The eyes are located on either side of the head, and each eye can rotate and focus independently, so they can look at different things simultaneously. When one eye detects a prey item, a threat, or another chameleon, the chameleon turns its head in that direction to allow both eyes to focus on it. That creates sharp, stereoscopic vision to view the subject of interest.
A good part of chameleon behavior is keeping on the lookout—for food, to warn off other chameleons, and to avoid predators. Each eye can scan a field of view that covers 180 degrees from front to back. Being able to have one eye seeing what’s behind you without turning your head is very useful; and having the other eye checking out what’s ahead or off to the side at the same time is practically a superpower. The way the chameleon’s brain processes that information is remarkable: it takes the two disparate images and combines them to create a picture of almost everything around the chameleon’s body.
on the move
High Tailing It
The larger more arboreal chameleon species have a long, prehensile tail that can grip and be used almost like a fifth limb. The tail is often as long as the head and body combined. Chameleons use the tail to help balance as they move through the trees, and to grasp twigs and branches as they climb.
A chameleon can support the weight of its body with its tail once it is firmly anchored, and it can reach down with its body and limbs while gripping a branch above with its tail. The scales on the underside of the tail often have short bristles or spikes, giving the tail a better grip. When resting and sleeping, chameleons usually keep their tail coiled. Some chameleons have very short tails or long tails that are not prehensile, but they can still aid in balance.
posing a threat
Bobbing Along
Head bobbing is a common behavior for chameleons, particularly during social interactions, courtship, and territorial displays. This distinctive movement serves various purposes and plays a crucial role in communication. The head bobbing motion is typically characterized by a rapid up-and-down or side-to-side movement of the head. This behavior is controlled by a complex coordination of muscle movements and is often linked to the chameleon’s overall body posture. The frequency and intensity of head bobbing and the trajectory, which the chin makes, can vary between species and circumstances.
Courtship
Head bobbing is frequently seen during mating rituals, especially in male chameleons attempting to attract females. The bobbing can be part of a larger courtship display that includes color changes, body inflation, and other visual signals. Females respond to these displays by indicating readiness to mate—or doing some head bobbing themselves to say no thanks.
Aggressive Displays: Chameleons may demonstrate head bobbing to assert dominance or establish territory. The behavior is often accompanied by changes in coloration and body posture. A male chameleon may bob its head aggressively in the presence of rival males to signal that it is ready to defend its territory or compete for a mate.
Communication
Beyond aggression and courtship, head bobbing may serve as a general form of communication among chameleons. It allows individuals to convey their mood or intent in a visual manner, reducing the likelihood of physical confrontations.
Not a Yawn
Chameleons use a behavior called gaping for different reasons. They do it if they are too hot, dispelling heat from the mouth, and sometimes if they are under stress. It’s mainly used as part of a threat display to deter a potential predator or warn a rival chameleon. If a chameleon feels threatened or challenged, it may respond by inflating its body to look as large as possible, distending its throat pouch, and hissing. This is accompanied by a gape, opening the mouth wide to expose the brightly colored oral interior, intending to intimidate.
DISCOVERY AND LEARNING MATERIALS TO DOWNLOAD
Download the logo here:
PNG file
PODCASTS
PANGOLIN – THE CONSERVATION PODCAST
Listen to a cool podcast about chameleons! Jack Baker, host of “Pangolin: The Conservation Podcast” has recorded a special episode all about chameleons, with guests Chris Anderson and Fano Ratsoavina, both chameleon experts. Give it a listen at one of these links:
JUST THE ZOO OF US
Join host Ellen Weatherford and her special guest, biologist Dr. Chris Anderson, for a podcast episode about the amazing chameleons! They discuss ballistic tongue projection, color changing and how cartoons get it wrong, eyes that move independently of each other, prehensile tails that act like a fifth leg, and so much more.
Just the Zoo of Us Podcast