Two “new old” chameleon species from Madagascar

It has long been known that Calumma gallus from eastern Madagascar is not just one species, but rather an entire species complex. Scientists have now taken a closer look at the complex and conducted new genetic studies – completely overturning some species classifications in the process.

The short version:

What was previously thought to be Calumma nasutum from Andasibe, Anosibe An’Ala and Tarzanville is now called Calumma hofreiteri. The females still cannot be reliably distinguished from Calumma emelinae. The ‘real’ Calumma nasutum occurs in rainforests near Ranomafana and Mananjary. The males of Calumma nasutum have a significantly larger rostral appendage, which is often yellow in colour, while the females only have a red snub nose. Calumma nasutum belongs to the gallus complex.

What was previously thought to be Calumma gallus and occurs in the Vohimana reserve and surrounding area is now called Calumma pinocchio. The ‘real’ Calumma gallus occurs in a forest fragment near Tarzanville, in Tsinjoarivo and several small areas near Toamasina on the east coast of Madagascar. Its rostral appendage is serrated at the top, while the rostral appendage of Calumma pinocchio is smooth.

Towards a revision of the Malagasy chameleons of the Calumma gallus complex: Redefinition of Calumma nasutum based on a museomics approach and descriptions of two new species
Frank Glaw, Stefanie Agne, David Prötzel, Philip-Sebastian Gehring, Jörn Köhler, Michaela Preick, Fanomezana M. Ratsoavina, Nicolas Straube, Katharina Wollenberg Valero, Angelica Crottini, Miguel Vences
Salamandra 61(4): 442-466, 2025.
DOI: not available
Free download of the article

Photo: from the above publication, Calumma nasutum

Cape dwarf chameleons are ambush predators

by Alex Negro Beobachtungen Science

For a long time, only two types of foraging behaviour were distinguished: active foragers and sit-and-wait or ambush foragers. Many years ago, two publications classified chameleons as ‘cruise foragers’, i.e. hunters that move slowly through the bushes, stop to feed and then move on. A study from South Africa is now investigating whether this is true and whether other factors contribute to movement. In order to evaluate the mode of foraging, one would actually have to ‘factor out’ movement for regulating body temperature, evading predators or opponents, searching for females or mate guarding.

To this end, 38 tagged (12 of them radio-tagged) Bradypodion pumilum were tracked over 10 days in April and 10 days in February. The chameleons live in Brümmer Park in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape province. They were divided into 17 male, 19 female and 2 indeterminate Bradypodion pumilum. The animals were located every evening and every morning on the specified days using telemetry and the naked eye. Each chameleon was observed for 60 to 180 minutes at a time, with two to four observers using binoculars from a distance of 5 to 10 metres from the chameleon being observed. The researchers recorded movements and stationary behaviour and assigned the corresponding motivation to each movement, noting food intake and number of shots.

A total of 171 hours of observation time was accumulated. Bradypodion pumilum spent most of the day (over 75%) stationary on their branches in Brümmer Park. In the morning, over 80% of them were sitting around, with almost half of this time spent sunbathing, presumably to warm up, and the other half spent stationary in shady vegetation. During the observation period, 26 Bradypodion pumilum fed a total of 110 times. They ate significantly more often (over 80%) when they were not moving. A strong factor for movement was interaction with conspecifics – during the observations, one male was even chased away by a female, causing it to fall from the tree.

The authors conclude from their study that Bradypodion pumilum is more likely to be a ambush hunter.

A multi-index approach to assessing foraging mode: a case study using chameleons
Wade K. Stanton-Jones, Krystal A. Tolley, Jody M. Barends, Graham J. Alexander
Current Zoology, 2025, zoaf065
DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaf065
Free article download

Photo: Bradypodion pumilum tagged with a transmitter from the study mentioned above

Presentation in Frankfurt about Ethiopia

by Alex Negro Reiseberichte Live lectures Science

On Friday, 26 September 2025, herpetologist Dr Arthur Tiutenko from Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg will give a lecture accompanied by numerous images about a very special forest in Ethiopia.

The Harenna Forest, which stretches along the southern slopes of the Bale Mountains in southern Ethiopia, is one of the last remaining forest areas in the Horn of Africa and the largest remaining rainforest on the African mainland. It is not only home to Arabica coffee, but also to numerous other endemic plant and animal species, many of which have not yet been scientifically discovered and described. The herpetofauna of the Harenna Forest includes more than 40 species, including the two large Ethiopian vipers – Bitis harenna and Bitis parviocula. The habitats of these animals and the entire ecosystem are being destroyed by overpopulation and increasing economic exploitation. Even the future of the officially protected parts of the forest looks bleak. This makes it all the more important to gain knowledge about the species that still live in the forest before it is too late. Arthur Tiutenko has explored the Harenna Forest in ten expeditions, the results of which he reports on in this lecture.

Dr. Arthur Tiutenko Harenna Forest, Ethiopia – 12 years of expeditions into the last rainforest in the Horn of Africa [German]
DGHT Stadtgruppe Frankfurt
Zoo school of Zoo Frankfurt
Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1
60316 Frankfurt am Main
Lecture begins at 7 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m. via the exit gate at the main entrance on Alfred-Brehm-Platz (gate between the zoo shop and the zoo society building).

Photo: Trioceros balebicornutus, photographed by Arthur Tiutenko on one of his travels

Impact of roads on the European chameleon

by Alex Negro Science

Although the European chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) is locally widespread on the Iberian Peninsula, its habitat is often cut through by roads in densely populated coastal areas. Biologists at the University of Málaga (Spain) recently investigated whether and how busy roads affect the behaviour and population density of the European chameleon.

They studied a privately owned study area in the province of Málaga in southern Spain, located on the edge of the A7 motorway. The A7 has a high volume of traffic, with 43,121 cars passing through every day. The study area consisted of abandoned olive and almond groves, but mainly large areas of scrubland with yellow broom and broom-like plants such as lavender, fennel and green dwarf palms.

The biologists divided the study area into five 225-metre-wide fields, each at different distances from the A7 motorway. At night, they searched for chameleons using torches. The sex, season, weight and position of any Chamaeleo chamaeleon found were recorded and their occurrence statistically evaluated. In addition, they noted the type of vegetation in which the animals were found and whether food was available. In order to better assess the availability of arthropods, these were caught in traps, identified and counted.

A total of 148 adult and 92 juvenile Chamaeleo chamaeleo were found, with 592 control points remaining without chameleon observations. It was noticeable that the population density of Chamaeleo chamaeleon was highest in the fields furthest away from the A7 motorway. Only 24.3% of adult chameleons were discovered in the immediate vicinity of the motorway, while 62.2% were found in the areas furthest from the motorway. Accordingly, the two fields directly adjacent to the motorway also had the fewest juveniles. The chameleons therefore appear to be disturbed by the motorway and retreat from its vicinity. However, the availability of arthropods (i.e. potential food) was comparable in all five areas. Interestingly, it was also found that more chameleons were present in areas with fewer shrubs. This suggests that Chamaeleo chamaeleo tends to avoid habitats with very dense undergrowth.

The results of the study are consistent with those for other reptiles, which describe, among other things, the so-called road effect zone. This is the phenomenon whereby straight roads running over long distances lead to a large amount of unsuitable habitat, even if they ‘only’ have narrow verges that are avoided by the animals. The length of the road and the number of roads can still severely restrict or reduce the habitat of a species. This finding is new for the European chameleon and important for species conservation. The authors conclude that areas with highly frequented roads less than 500 to 675 metres away are unsuitable habitats for Chamaeleo chamaeleon.

Effects of habitat characteristics in an anthropized landscape on the spatial behavior and abundance of a common chameleon (Chamaeleo chameleon) population
M.A. Farfán, J. Duarte, D. Romero, L. Colorado-Pedrero, P. García-Quevedo, R. Arroyo-Morales, F. Dìaz-Ruiz
Conservation Science and Practice 2025: e70070.
DOI: 10.1111/csp2.70070
Free download of the article

New data about Furcifer campani in Ankaratra (Madagascar)

by Alex Negro Science

Two Madagascan biologists recently studied the current situation of the jewelled chameleon (Furcifer campani) in the Ankaratra reserve. Ankaratra is located around 80 km south of the capital Antananarivo in the central highlands, not far from the small town of Ambatolampy. The reserve extends over altitudes of 1601 to 2656 m and covers dense rainforest, pine forest and savannahs with areas similar to heathland. Average temperatures are 11.9°C in the dry season (July) and 17.9°C in the rainy season (January).

The study was conducted using a method known as distance sampling. This involves drawing three lines, each 50 metres long and 25 metres apart, at different locations within the study area. After a waiting period of 24 hours, the two biologists walked the transects at night with torches and searched for chameleons. The perch height and sex of the chameleons found were noted. In addition, an assessment was made as to whether or not the animal was in a severely destroyed habitat (= slash-and-burn in the last 4-5 years).

The results of the study show a population density of Furcifer campani in Ankaratra of 19.06 individuals per hectare in habitats with little destruction and 12.62 individuals per hectare in habitats with severe destruction. Approximately half of the transects were located in habitats severely destroyed by slash-and-burn practices. Furcifer campani was found at night at heights between 4 cm and 3 m above the ground. On average, the chameleons slept slightly higher up in the vegetation at 47 cm compared to 40 cm in undisturbed habitats.

The two authors identified two major threats to Furcifer campani in Ankaratra: firstly, slash-and-burn farming, which poses a double problem. Not only does slash-and-burn irretrievably destroy suitable habitat, but the authors also found Furcifer campani that had died from burn injuries during their study. The authors identified the pine forests within the protected area as the second major threat. Pine trees were planted there in many places for later logging. However, they are also spreading outside the area originally intended for them and encroaching on other habitats. Furcifer campani prefers to live in savannahs, which in Ankaratra consist mainly of Philippia and Helichrysum grasses, and cannot thrive in pine forests. There has been no significant removal of animals for international trade in recent years and this is therefore not considered an acute threat.

Habitat quality and roost preference of jewelled chameleon (Furcifer campani) in Ankaratra highlands, central Madagascar
Rodlis Raphali Andriantsimanarilafy, Joseph Christian Randrianantoandro
Scientific Reports in Life Sciences 6(3), 2025: 33-40.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.16895177
Free article download

Picture: Furcifer campani in Madagascar, photographed by Thorsten Negro

New locality record of Calumma vencesi (Madagascar)

by Alex Negro Verbreitung Science

Calumma vencesi occurs in northern Madagascar and has so far been found in Betaolana, Besariaka and Tsararano. A Madagascan research team has now discovered the species in another rainforest: Sorata. Sorata is part of the COMATSA corridor, which mainly consists of the Marojejy, Anjanaharibe Sud and Tsaratanana rainforests. Sorata, on the other hand, is located slightly further north towards Vohémar. The rainforest is currently managed by the WWF in collaboration with the local association Ambodimandresy Miaro ny Ala (AMA).

The scientists randomly distributed 14 transects in the rainforest, each consisting of three parallel lines of 50 m. Then, at night, they searched for sleeping chameleons along the transects with flashlights. The frequency of the species per 100 m was calculated, the plants used were documented and the sleeping height was measured.

A total of eight Calumma vencesi were found. They slept at an average branch height of 1.43 m, mostly on leaves, with a few individuals on branches. Five chameleons were found sleeping vertically, three more horizontally. Seven of the eight Calumma vencesi slept with their heads up, only one upside down.

The occurrence of only 0.38 individuals per 100 m is surprisingly low and even falls below that of chameleon species classified as critically endangered, such as Calumma tarzan. Until now, Calumma vencesi had only been found below 1000 m, but the study area in Sorata was at an average altitude of 1326 m. Calumma vencesi occurs in Sorata in the same distribution area as Brookesia nana, which makes the need to protect this rainforest even more urgent. The forest is threatened by slash-and-burn farming, illegal logging, grazing livestock and vanilla plantations.

A new locality for the endangered Vence’s Chamaeleon, Calumma vencesi Andreone et al., 2001, from Sorata Forest, northeastern Madagascar
Jeanneney Rabearivony, Andriatsitohaina Ranaivojaona, Moussaïna Jao, Achille P. Raselimanana
Herpetology Notes 18, 2025: 817-820.
DOI: not available
Free article download

Photo: Calumma vencesi, photographed by Asméralie William, from the aforementioned publication

Ultrasound of the urogenital tract in chameleons

by Alex Negro Tiermedizin Science

In recent years, initial studies have been conducted on imaging in the diagnosis of diseases specifically in chameleons. A further study by veterinarians at the University of Leipzig (Germany) now presents additional comparative data on the urogenital tract of chameleons.

They examined the kidneys, bladder and reproductive organs of 42 lizards brought to the university hospital by private owners using ultrasound. Among the patients were seven Chamaeleo calyptratus and five Furcifer pardalis. Of these 12 chameleons, six were male and six were female. All organs were measured, described and sample images were saved.

Unfortunately, the sex organs of none of the female chameleons could be assessed for the study, as they were either pathologically altered or had already been removed during previous surgery. The most suitable location for coupling the ultrasound probe to the kidneys of the chameleons was found to be approximately one centimetre in front of the hip. The postpelvic portion of the kidneys was always smaller than the prepelvic portion. The kidneys of all male chameleons showed heterogeneous stripes, while the kidneys of the females were always homogeneous. This striping is probably due to sexual segments in the kidneys of males. The kidney tissue was isoechogenic to muscle tissue and more hypoechoic than adipose tissue. The testes of the male chameleons were located in the posterior third of the coelomic cavity, directly below the spine and in front of the kidneys. The right testicle was slightly further forward than the left. The capsule was hyperechoic in all males, while the testicular structure was always homogeneous. The study also provides average measurements of the kidneys and testicles of Yemen and panther chameleons.

The data largely correspond to the data already compiled by Aßmann in 2015 on ultrasound of the urogenital tract of chameleons. Only the kidney length differed significantly (longer) from previous studies.

Comparative sonographic studies of the urogenital tract of lizards
Nils B. Klützow, Volker Schmidt
Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound 2025, 66:e70075
DOI: 10.1111/vru.70075
Free download of the article

Gene evolution in chameleon teeth

by Alex Negro Science

Chameleons have acrodont teeth, which means that their teeth are directly attached to the bone. Mammals, on the other hand, have so-called alveoli in which the teeth are seated. Scientists from Michigan (USA) have now investigated the genetic evolutionary development of tooth structures by comparing mammals with acrodont reptiles.

To do this, they compared the genomes of 24 acrodont reptiles and 12 mammal species. The acrodont reptiles included the chameleon species Furcifer pardalis, Trioceros harennae and Chamaeleo calyptratus, as well as chameleons of the genera Chamaeleo, Bradypodion and Trioceros that were not identified at the species level. The genes for amino acids, from which certain proteins in tooth enamel are built, were compared using various calculations and analyses.

The results showed that the loss of tooth replacement in acrodont reptiles did indeed lead to changes in the genes responsible for tooth enamel formation.

Reduction of tooth replacement disproportionately affects the evolution of enamel matrix proteins
John Abramyan, Gengxin Li, Hannah Khansa
Journal of Molecular Evolution 93, 2025: 494-510.
DOI: 10.1007/s00239-025-10258-4
Kostenloser Download des Artikels

Photo: Specimen of a panther chameleon skull with acrodont teeth, photographed by Alex Negro

…and they do adapt to their surroundings!

by Alex Negro Science

The headline isn’t quite right, but it’s close. Scientists from the United Kingdom have recently proven that flap-necked chameleons do indeed adapt their colouring to their surroundings to a certain extent.

To this end, eight subadult Chamaeleo dilepis, which had previously been imported from Tanzania, were subjected to several experiments. The chameleons were placed in a small terrarium sitting on horizontal bars and exposed to different backgrounds: in the first experiment, the backgrounds were yellow, yellow-green, orange and blue-green; in the second experiment, the backgrounds were black and white. And in the third experiment, the backgrounds were decorated with yellow, yellow-green, black or white patterns in different scales (the pattern was originally taken from photos of blackberry bushes from the chameleons’ habitat). A terrarium with a grey background was used as a ‘neutral space’ before the experiments. The animals were photographed repeatedly for 21 minutes during each experiment.

On the yellow background, the chameleons without the predator decoy changed colour most quickly. There was no difference in the speed of colour change between yellow and orange, nor between yellow-green and blue-green backgrounds. The longer the chameleons sat in front of the orange background, the more they adapted to it.

When the chameleons sat on black backgrounds, their colouring also became significantly darker than on grey or white backgrounds. In experiments with differently patterned backgrounds, the scientists found that the chameleons reduced their own colour pattern on green or yellow backgrounds, but hardly at all on white or black patterns – this suggests that the animals are better protected in their natural habitat, especially in green/yellow grass, than on black or white backgrounds.

Of course, the flap-necked chameleons were not able to take on the exact colour of the background like an octopus – this myth remains just that – a myth. However, it would certainly be interesting to know if and when chameleons change their colouring for reasons of communication, camouflage or thermoregulation. So there is still plenty of room for further research.

Flap-necked chameleons change colour to match their background
Tom major, Alexia C.M. Hesten, Jan Stipala, Michael A. Cant, Martin Stevens, Jolyon Triscianko
Biology Letters 21, 2025: 20250134
DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2025.0134

Comparisons between dwarf chameleons in South Africa

by Alex Negro Science

South African scientists have recently been investigating whether three closely related Bradypodion lineages in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa have evolved differently due to their different habitats or whether other causes are responsible.

The scientists are studying the two species Bradypodion ventrale from the Nama Karoo and Bradypodion taeniabronchium from the Elandsberg and Tsitsikamma Mountains and the fynbos of Thyspunt and Honeyville, as well as a population of dwarf chameleons from the fynbos of the Groot Winterhoek Mountains that has not yet been described as a separate species. The latter are often referred to as Bradypodion sp. ‘groendal’ because they occur in the Groendal Nature Reserve, among other places.

At night, chameleons were searched for using flashlights and the naked eye. Adult chameleons with a body length (SVL) of more than 36 mm were taken away overnight to be released back at the site where they were found the next day. All animals were measured accurately. Tissue samples were taken from the tip of the tail. In addition, the thickness and height of the branches on which the chameleons were found were measured. Further branch thicknesses were recorded along three 100 m long transects in each population. The data collected was statistically evaluated and the tissue samples were genetically examined.

A total of 232 chameleons were sampled for the study. Bradypodion taeniabronchium had significantly smaller head features than the other two species, but larger hands and feet. Bradypodion ventrale was larger overall than the others, but had longer limbs. Bradypodion taeniabronchium used the widest branches (average diameter 2.83 mm), but also the lowest (average height 82 cm above the ground). Bradypodion ventrale, on the other hand, used the thinnest branches (average diameter 1.52 mm), but the highest (average just under 93 cm above the ground).

The researchers found that all three populations of dwarf chameleons showed increased external similarity (convergence) when they occurred in the same habitats and less similarity (divergence) when they occurred in different habitats. The dwarf chameleons preferred certain branch thicknesses depending on their population, even though other branches were also available in their habitat. Finally, the authors point out that all the evidence available so far suggests that the as yet undescribed dwarf chameleons of the Groendal Nature Reserve represent a separate species.

Ecological factors promote convergent evolution and ecological speciation in dwarf chameleons (Bradypodion)
Krystal A. Tolley, Devon C. Main, Keith M. Dube, Bettine Jansen van Vuuren, Jessica M. da Silva
Zoosystematics and Evolution 101(3) 2025: 1227-1247
DOI: 10.3897/zse.101.151926

Photo: Bradypodion ventrale, from the publication cited

Cookie	Duration	Description
Cookie Consent	one year	Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.
qTranslate-X	one year	This plugin is necessary so that the page can be read in several languages. If you switch off this plugin, all languages will be displayed next to each other. This makes the website unreadable.

We need your consent!