Chameleons are one of the worldβs most notably charismatic reptiles, and they've become synonymous with that biological disappearing actβcamouflage. But connoted as an unwanted invasive species? Thatβs not a good color on them.
The veiled and Jackson Chameleons now reside in the upper-canopies of the island stateβs otherwise endemic plant fauna; the chromatic consequence of our complacency. The exotic pet trade is a booming, multi-billion dollar global industry that, for better or worse, has made the idea of owning something outside the canine world a tangible possibility. But dogs can be trained to βcomebackβ on verbal commandβchameleons canβt. And there entails the means of introduction for many established invasivesβthey began as lost pets that found other misplaced kin and began copulating.
Under the Veil
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Flickr/Rodger Smith[/caption]
Attaining lengths of eighteen-inches and living upwards of eight-years, veiled chameleons (
Chamaeleo calyptratus) are large, primarily arboreal lizards found throughout the Arabian Peninsula. And in that life span, females can produce as many as two clutches per-year at the dizzying figure of eighty eggs per-clutch; rabbits couldnβt hold a candle to their reproductive habits. Garnered with green-laden chromoatophoresβheavily pigmented epidermal cells that expand and contract to interpreted neurological queues, allowing chameleons the ability to change colorβveiled chameleons use their always contrasting and adaptive canvas to communicate emotional messages. Strictly vibrant yellows invoke sexual inclinations, while strong reds can indicate that theyβre disturbed by an intruder or would-be threat. Chameleons are naturally colored to mesh seamlessly in with their floral habitats, stalking soon-to-be consumed insects and the occasional small mammal; they also have a tendency to consume roughage from time-to-time.
The Tricertops of the Tree Tops
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Flickr/Florenve Ivy[/caption]
Jacksonβs chameleons (
Chamaeleo jacksonii) aren't as prevalent on the Hawaiian archipelago as there much larger, camouflaging counterparts; Jacksonβs only attain lengths of no more than thirteen inches. Native to Kenya and Tanzania, Jacksonβs chameleons are famously associated with their three-horned anatomical trifectaβone rostral horn (near the nose), and two preocular horns (each located on the superior orbital ridge). And like their more populated kin, these lizards are both primarily insectivorous and mirror that same, color-changing mantra.
A Silent, Less Colorful Rainforest
And now itβs time to shy away from the quirks of these animals, shinning a spotlight onto their impact on Hawaiiβs ecosystems. Because of their umami-savvy habits for exoskeltal life, both veiled and Jacksonβs chameleons place a heavy-threat on endangeredβor near-so, for that matterβinsect life, i.e. Hawaiiβs declining land snail population counts. Couple this food-chain factoid with the likelihood that they may inadvertently consume one of Hawaiiβs endemic plantsβof which, eighty-nine percent of those plants, like the MolokaβI white hibiscus, are experiencing declinesβand an environmental crisis seems to be looming in the deforested future.
Yes, veiled and Jacksonβs chameleons are intriguing reptilesβwhether kept in captivity or encountered in their invasive or natural environments. But out of respect for our shared biosphere, we must uphold our role as a cohabitant. We canβt carelessly toss aside pets weβve now become bored with, an electronic impulse buy we no longer want to charge. And releasing that creature into an alien terra firma isnβt the answerβestablish empathy for that animal, look into rehoming avenues. βWait, itβs not a bird at allβitβs a chameleon! And isn't it beautiful in that well-maintained enclosure?β
βIUCN Red List contributor and green journalist, Matthew Charnock
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