Invasive plant kills chameleons

Invasive plant kills chameleons

by Alex Negro Beobachtungen

An interesting observation was made by a Madagascar traveler and his guide last year: in Ranomafana in the southern highlands of the island, he observed Calumma oshaughnessyi juveniles twice becoming entangled in an invasive plant and apparently dying as a result. The authors suspect that the animals were unable to free themselves from the small, fine barbs of the plant and may have starved to death as a result.

The plant in question is the Spanish clover (Desmodium uncinatum), which has already spread worldwide. It is a good fodder plant for cattle, which has a high symbolic value in Madagascar. However, there are case reports from India and Australia of bats and other small mammals becoming entangled in the Velcro-like plant stems and dying.

Natural History Notes: Calumma oshaughnessyi
Michael Nash, Patrick Adriamihaja
Herpetological Review 55(3), 2024
DOI: not available

Photo: from the publication mentioned

Eagle owl captures chameleon

Eagle owl captures chameleon

by Alex Negro Beobachtungen Science

The eagle owl (Bubo bubo) is the largest native owl in Europe and has a large range that extends as far as Greece. It is not only very adaptable in terms of the habitat it uses, but also in terms of its prey. Known and common prey in the Mediterranean region include small to medium-sized mammals and other smaller birds. Ampihibians, reptiles, fish and invertebrates such as insects are also preyed upon, but have always been considered more of a stopgap, especially in areas of Greece where there is a lack of larger prey.

Greek authors recently made a very special observation on the prey spectrum of the owl species in the area around Pylos in the western Peloponnese. In July 2024, the authors observed an eagle owl hunting in the early morning. To their surprise, it preyed on a Chamaeleo africanus. This is the first published observation of an eagle owl preying on a chameleon. Further research on this would be desirable, as there is a general lack of data on the prey spectrum of eagle owls in the Peloponnese.

An exceptionally rare predation on a chameleon species (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae) by a Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Aves: Strigidae)
Apostolos Christopoulos, Luca Cornacchia, Christos Kotselis, Yiannis G. Zevgolis
Diversity 17, 2025: 333
DOI: 10.3390/d17050333

Photo: from the publication mentioned

Madagascar giant chameleon eats carpet chameleon

Madagascar giant chameleon eats carpet chameleon

by Alex Negro Beobachtungen Science

Three authors report an interesting observation from the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo. Near Akamasoa, they observed a male Furcifer oustaleti in the process of devouring another chameleon. The animal had not been observed hunting. The victim, presumably a carpet chameleon (Furcifer lateralis), was completely devoured within a few minutes.

The observation is one of a few exciting sightings of relatively large chameleons that at first glance appear to eat ‘too large’ prey. However, this does not seem to happen very often, as the few existing observations are spread over several decades. It is interesting that the new observation was made in the dry season, when the insect density is significantly lower compared to the rainy season.

Predation on Furcifer sp. by Oustalet’s Chameleon, Furcifer oustaleti (Mocquard, 1894), in the Central Highlands of Madagascar
Angelinah René de Roland, Duvivier Razarazafy, Séraphin Fabrice
Herpetology Notes 18: 305-306.
DOI: not available

Photo: from the publication mentioned

Furcifer verrucosus discovered in the stomach of a snake

Furcifer verrucosus discovered in the stomach of a snake

by Alex Negro Beobachtungen Science

Biologists from the University of Michigan (USA) recently made a curious discovery: they analysed a snake of the species Langaha madagascariensis that had been prepared 31 years ago using dissection and microCT. The specimen had been largely untouched in the Zoological Museum of the University of Michigan since 1994. The snake was originally collected by R.A. Nussbaum in the extreme south of Madagascar, not far from Tolagnaro. Little is known about the diet of the leaf-nosed snake, only anecdotal case reports are known. Chameleons have now been added to the list of potential prey: An adult Furcifer verrucosus was found in the stomach of the female leaf-nosed snake examined.

Natural history notes: Langaha madagascariensis (Malagasy leaf-nosed snake)
Andressa L. Viol, Hayley L. Crowell, Justin L. Lee, Tristan D. Schramer
Herpetological Review 55 (2), 2025: 223-226.
DOI: not available

Photo: Furcifer verrucosus, photographed by Nick Newberry, CC BY 4.0

Co-Sleeping in Chamaeleo zeylanicus (India)

Co-Sleeping in Chamaeleo zeylanicus (India)

by Alex Negro Beobachtungen

A small publication recently focussed on observations of chameleons in India. Four researchers were travelling in the state of Karnataka in India and repeatedly observed chameleons at night. On a good 20 occasions, they observed single sleeping animals. However, two observations stood out from the others.

In July 2021, they observed two Chamaeleo zeylanicus sleeping less than five centimetres apart on the same branch in Narasimha Betta. A similar picture presented itself to them a little later in July of the same year in Devarayana Durga, 53 km away from the first observation. The chameleons were located in well vegetated hilly scrubland interspersed with rocks.

Unfortunately, the authors were unable to determine the sexes of the animals. As the observations were both made during the monsoon, the reproductive season of the Indian chameleon, they assume mate guarding. This involves a male ‘guarding’ a mated female for several days in order to increase his reproductive success.

Co-Sleeping in the Indian Chameleon Chamaeleo zeylanicus Laurenti, 1768
Nitya P. Mohanty, Krishna Murthy, B.R. Ansil, Ashwin Viswanathan
Herpetology Notes 2024, 17: 679-681.
DOI: not available

Photo: Sleeping Chamaeleo zeylanicus, photographed byDr. Raju Kasambe, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

The new CHAMAELEO is out now!

The new CHAMAELEO is out now!

by Alex Negro AG Interna Beobachtungen CHAMAELEO Haltungsberichte Science

Good things come to those who wait: we have just received the latest issues of CHAMAELEO 49. They will now go into the mail as soon as possible and will then be on their way to all AG members. The current contents can be found here. And if you are not yet a member of the AG Chameleons, you might want to become one soon! How do you like the current issue? Do you have any comments, wishes or criticism? Too thick, too thin, too much English, too little? ;) We look forward to your feedback!

Chameleons as prey of Compsophis infralineatus

Chameleons as prey of Compsophis infralineatus

by Alex Negro Beobachtungen Science

Some interesting observations were recently made in central eastern Madagascar. Two snakes of the species Compsophis infralineatus were observed trying to devour chameleons as prey. Overall, not much is known about these snakes, but they were long thought to be primarily frog and egg eaters. An observation from 2018 already reports an attempt by another Compsophis species to eat a chameleon, which was regurgitated.

The current observations were made in the private rainforest of Vallombre Natiora near Mandraka. During night walks, an adult Compsophis infralineatus was discovered eating an adult Calumma gastrotaenia. The entire process of consumption was not observed, the snake had disappeared on return to the site, as had the chameleon. The authors assume that the chameleon was successfully devoured. On the same night, another snake of the same species was seen attempting to eat an adult Calumma crypticum. The chameleon was still alive and tried to free itself from the snake’s coils, but seemed unsuccessful first. Later, the same snake was seen again, hanging with its mouth in the back of the chameleon, which was apparently still alive but no with the snake wrapped around it. In the photo, it appears that the chameleon is still alive.

Predation on the chameleons Calummy crypticum Raxworthy and Nussbaum, 2006 and C. gastrotaenia (Boulenger, 1888) by the snake Compsophis infralineatus (Günther 1882) near Mandaka, Madagascar
Devin A. Edmonds and Samina S. Sam-Edmonds
Herpetology Notes (17), 2024: pp. 327-328
DOI:  not available

Picture: from the above-mentioned publication, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0