CHAMELEONOLOGY: 

In the fascinating world of chameleons, the term "snalt" refers specifically to a specialized secretion produced by the nasal salinary glands. These glands play a crucial role in the unique physiology of chameleons, enabling them to thrive in diverse environments. Snalt, often misunderstood, is a vital aspect of chameleon health and hydration.

Habitat and Range: Its range is confined to a few scattered remnants of the original forest, highlighting its vulnerability. These limited habitats make the species heavily reliant on the preservation of its natural environment.
Threats: The Angel's Chameleon faces significant threats from logging and wildfires, which contribute to habitat...

The population of the Oustalet's chameleon (Furcifer oustaleti) around Mahajanga in the extreme west of Madagascar is characterized by its slender appearance and incredible collar. The gular grooves are rusty brown to orange in males, while females exhibit yellow coloration. Additionally, the inner side of the throat is lime yellow in both sexes.

Furcifer angeli, or Angel's chameleon, is a striking yet understated species endemic to the dry deciduous forests of northwestern Madagascar. Named in honor of French herpetologist Fernand Angel, it inhabits fragmented forest remnants from Ankarafantsika to Mahajanga. Males display muted orange and blue-gray hues, while females resemble F. pardalis...

Mosquitoes are well-known vectors for various diseases in humans and animals, but their interactions with reptiles like chameleons offer a fascinating perspective on the ecological dynamics of parasite transmission. While chameleons primarily inhabit Madagascar and parts of Africa, they can also fall prey to mosquito bites, which can result in the...

Chameleons are creatively represented in art through intricate carvings made from zebu horn. These designs, often crafted as reliefs or decorative pieces, capture the unique shapes of chameleons in a strikingly minimalist form. The natural hue of zebu horn contrasts beautifully against white backgrounds, highlighting the skill and artistry...

Chameleons appear in simple reliefs scratched into layers of wet concrete before it hardens. Despite their minimalist design, these little guys look surprisingly artistic, adding a splash of whimsy to walls of rooms or exteriors. It's like the local artists thought, "Why use paint when you can just scratch out some chameleons and call it modern...

Chameleons on tea cups? Only in Madagascar! These little color-changing critters have taken their talents to metal tea pots, showing off their style while steeping your favorite brew. Imagine pouring tea and thinking, "Is that the tea changing color, or the chameleon trying to blend in with the floral design?" Just be careful; they might try to...

You arrive at a hotel in Madagascar and immediately hold a chameleon in your hand. The receptionist smiles and hands you a room key—complete with a tag featuring a chameleon! "our room comes with a complimentary lizard!" she chirps. Great, now you have a tiny roommate that changes colors faster than you can decide what to wear! Just wait until...

In Madagascar, chameleons are admired for their colors and forms, inspiring local artisans to feature them in traditional crafts, even on metal umbrella baskets. These decorative items showcase the island's biodiversity and artistic talent while promoting cultural heritage. By depicting chameleons, artisans raise awareness of Madagascar's unique...

Antalaha is a coastal city located in northeastern Madagascar, nestled along the Indian Ocean. It serves as a significant center for vanilla and clove production, surrounded by lush tropical landscapes. The city experiences a humid tropical climate, with warm temperatures and heavy rainfall during the rainy season from November to March. Antalaha's...

Deep in the rainforests of Madagascar lives a legend cloaked in green: Calumma parsonii, the Parsons' chameleon. As the largest of all chameleons, males can exceed 60 cm and possess the raw power to hunt prey few reptiles their size would attempt.

Chameleon hatchlings are astonishingly small, emerging from eggs barely the size of a coffee bean. Among them, Furcifer lateralis, the carpet chameleon, is particularly petite at birth, typically measuring just 3 centimeters in total length, including the tail. Weighing less than a gram, they resemble living threads of color, often translucent and...

The depicted female of Calumma petteri is simply exceptionally fabulous, exhibiting flawless symmetry, vibrant coloration, and a textbook example of phenotypic elegance among Malagasy chameleons.

MEET ANOTHER GREAT RESULT OF MUTUAL COOPERATION OF A TRUE INTERNATIONAL TEAM - PROFESSIONALS FROM UKRAINE, UK, USA, GERMANY, COSTA RICA, CHINA & AUSTRALIA.WE WORK DAILY TO FIND AND PUBLISH THE MOST INTERESTING AND VALUABLE MATERIALS ON VARIOUS HERPEOCULTURE-RELATED TOPICS INTERESTING FOR OUR BELOVED AUDIENCE! Featuring in this issue…1. In the...

The study titled "Effects of temperature on embryonic development of the veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus)" investigates how incubation temperature influences developmental timing, hatching success, and sex ratio in this species. Researchers incubated eggs at constant temperatures ranging from 22°C to 32°C and found that higher temperatures...

This study investigates the amnion rhythmic contractions (ARCs) and heart rate (HR) in veiled chameleon embryos during development. Using non-invasive optical methods, the researchers monitored the frequency and coordination of ARCs and HR under varying temperature conditions (25–30 °C). They found that both ARCs and HR are temperature-dependent...

The article titled "Embryonic Asymmetry in Veiled Chameleons: A Model for Reptilian Left-Right Patterning"explores how left-right (L-R) asymmetry develops in Chamaeleo calyptratus embryos, offering a valuable reptilian model for understanding vertebrate embryogenesis. The study focuses on the timing and molecular mechanisms that establish...

The Chameleon Academy article on Chameleon Embryonic Development offers a detailed walkthrough of the developmental stages of veiled chameleons, guided by Dr. Raul Diaz. It emphasizes that whether a chameleon lays eggs or gives live birth, the internal embryonic process is fundamentally the same. Development begins with gastrulation, where the...

This video shows the extraction of Filaria worms from the subcutaneous region of an adult Furcifer pardalis female.

Reptile eggs sweat before hatching due to a combination of various factors. This phenomenon is common in species like snakes, lizards, and applies also to chameleons.

In June 2025, Frank Priscus Shirima made an astonishing discovery in the Usa River area, Arusha, Tanzania. He found a male Common Flapneck Chameleon, Chamaeleo dilepis. Finding one wasn't unusual, as they are frequently encountered in that region, but this particular chameleon had suffered a gruesome injury, losing both its hind legs and most of...

Sometimes, baby chameleons come into the world with a bit of extra baggage—a leftover piece of their yolk sac forming an unfortunate cap over their heads. While this isn't the fashion statement they were aiming for, it can cause real trouble if it blocks their snout.

The Green Ringtail Possum and Its Unique Tail Adaptation

Chameleons have a highly specialized arrangement of their fingers and toes, uniquely adapted for gripping branches with precision. This configuration, known as chamaeleodactylia, is distinctive among reptiles and plays a crucial role in their arboreal lifestyle.

Chameleons have evolved remarkable antipredatory mechanisms, one of which is akinesis, the ability to remain completely still. By avoiding movement, suppressing scent, and relying on their cryptic coloration, chameleons minimize detection by predators. This strategy is particularly evident in hatchlings, which instinctively adopt a position similar...

The Impact of Habitat Loss and Temperature Shifts

Many reptile keepers assume that exposure to UVB light directly provides chameleons with vitamin D. However, this is a misconception—UVB does not create vitamin D from nothing; rather, it acts as a catalyst in an essential biochemical process.