Chameleon, Madagascar

Chameleons are the ultimate shapeshifters of the animal kingdom, renowned for their ability to change colour to camouflage.

But their colour-changing skills aren’t just for hiding; they also reflect their mood, temperature, and even whether they’re ready to be courted.  This process is controlled by special pigment cells called chromatophores, located just beneath the skin.  When a chameleon senses a change in its environment, it adjusts the size of these cells, making its skin appear darker or light depending on the situation.

 

Chameleons come in all shapes and sizes, from the giant Parson’s chameleon, which can reach up to 27.5in (70cm) in length, to the tiny Brookesia nana, measuring just 0.5 (13.5mm).  A close contender to Parson’s is Oustalet’s chameleon growing to 27in (68cm).  It has a slimmer, more agile boy and a dragon-like appearance.

One of the most fascinating features of chameleons is their incredible tongue strike.  They can shoot their tongues out at speeds of up to 20ft (6m) per second, faster than the blink of an eye!  In just 0.07 seconds, their tongues can extend to twice their body length.  The tip is ultra-sticky, creating a partial vacuum to hold onto prey, ensuring it doesn’t escape.  The tongue’s elastic tissue works like a stretched rubber band, snapping forward with impressive speed and strength.

 

Chameleons are incredibly adaptable creatures.  Take the Labord’s chameleon, for example, which has an extremely short lifespan.  This species hatches, grows, breeds, and dies in just under five months, living fast and taking advantage of the brief rainy season.  In contrast, the Parson’s chameleon has a much slower pace of life.  Its eggs can take up to 24 months to hatch, holding the record for the longest incubation period among reptiles. 

Among the flashiest species is the Panther chameleon.  Growing up to 20in (50cm), they come in a stunning range of colours, often all at once – turquoise, red, orange, green, blue, yellow and purple.  These chameleons are also some of the fastest colour-changers, quickly shifting hues in response to emotions like stress, aggression, or excitement.  Their colour changes are a form of communication, with darker shades signaling stress and lighter, brighter hues reflecting confidence or courtship.  Males, in particular, are territorial and often engage in dramatic colour “battles” to assert dominance, almost like a dance-off, without physical confrontation.   

Lastly, baby chameleons are born with all the survival skills they need.  From climbing trees and hunting for months, thanks to a survival trick called diapause.  It’s like hitting the “pause button” on life, waiting for the right conditions to hatch.

 

Almost half of the world’s chameleon species are found only Madagascar, with around 100 species, including the Rhinoceros chameleon and the panther chameleon, Furcifer pardalis.  Keep an eye peeled on the trees or tucked among the fallen leaves – you might just find one staring right back at you.