Raised Wrong, Sold Cheap: The Curse of a Montane Dino

The Curse of Dinosaurs and Humans

Imagine a tiny Dinosaur perched on a branch, wearing three proud horns like it's auditioning for Jurassic Park: The Bonsai Edition. That's Trioceros jacksonii, the East African chameleon that looks like a miniature Triceratops with a flair for drama. Native to the cool, mist-drenched montane forests of Kenya and Tanzania, this species evolved to thrive in chilly nights, foggy mornings, and daytime temperatures that never try to roast you alive.

But then came Trioceros jacksonii xantholophus, the subspecies that took a wrong turn and ended up in Hawaii. Not by choice, of course, someone thought it'd be a good idea to bring them there for pet trade. And they escaped. With a free ecological niche and a climate that felt like a five-star spa, it settled in fast and became an invasive species. Cue the ecological alarm bells. 

They eat mainly insects. And ironically, most of their prey is just as invasive as they are. Humans brought it all in—bees, flies, roaches, beetles, an imported first class buffet. But with the same brutality that once greeted the noble explorer James Cook, who was the first European sea traveler to reach the islands after they'd been conquered by Polynesians from the Marquesas and Tahiti, humans (now mostly the descendants of Cook's own people) have turned against these tiny dinosaurs. Why? Revenge for their own sins, perhaps. Or for the death of Cook. Who knows.

So they invented a reason. A schoolboy-friendly mission: collect the chameleons in plastic bags, drown them in water, or poison their livers so they die slowly, suffering for days. The justification? A small native snail. Due to the volcanic soil's low calcium and the absence of predators for millennia, this snail evolved a paper-thin shell and took to climbing trees. Some chameleons, just like their African ancestors, ate a few. And the hairless apes found out. Mission accomplished. Curse constructed.

Never mind that the snail's near-extinction—99.9 percent gone—was caused by deforestation and habitat destruction courtesy of humans. The chameleon was declared the enemy of the state. Not for its sins, but for ours. It didn't choose to cross two oceans. It didn't ask to be boxed, shipped, and dumped like a slave from centuries past. It simply escaped. For their babies to be born free.

And yet, in true primate fashion, the same humans who persecute them also study them. With all the scientific precision they can muster, they've accused the Hawaiian population of being even more colorful than the originals in Kenya to demonstrate their microevolutionary theory to be valid. But of course, they didn't compare them to the most vibrant populations from the eastern slopes of Mt. Kenya. No—they chose specimens from near a hybrid zone, cryptic and dull. Maybe unknowingly. The conclusion? Exaggerated. The logic? As twisted as the horns of a neglected male chameleon. But peer-reviewed.

The crooked Horns

Jackson's chameleons in Hawaii and captivity often develop crooked, twisted, or uneven horns—and it's not just bad luck. The phenomenon is rooted in a mix of biology, husbandry, and history. According to chameleons.info, the Hawaiian population of Trioceros jacksonii xantholophus originated from a very small founder group—around 30 individuals imported from Kenya. This genetic bottleneck reduced diversity and likely contributed to anatomical irregularities, including horn deformities. The rostral horn often points upwards instead of straight forwards, a tribute to MBD which softens the bones and make them prone to be deformed by the action of attached muscles. The upper jaw becomes shorter and the rostral horns gets erected unnaturally upwards, as a silent memorial of mankind's escorting it to Hawaii and/or wrong captive care.

But genetics aren't the only culprit. In captivity, poor husbandry plays a major role. These chameleons require precise environmental conditions: cool nighttime temperatures, high humidity, and proper UVB exposure. Without these, calcium metabolism suffers, leading to metabolic bone disease (MBD). Horns, being bony structures covered in keratin, are especially vulnerable. Inadequate supplementation, improper lighting, and chronic dehydration all contribute to malformed horns.

In Hawaii, the volcanic soil is naturally low in calcium, and the airborne dust lacks the mineral content needed for healthy bone development. Jackson's chameleons living there often suffer from calcium deficiency, which leads to metabolic bone disease. The result: deformed, crooked horns—especially in males—twisted by poor nutrition and the unforgiving chemistry of paradise.

Tjx in Pet Trade

In the pet trade, Jackson's chameleon is a celebrity. Very popular and quite affordable. Offsprings are produced frequently, but almost none ever reach adulthood. Why? Two reasons: biology and economy.

Biology first. 

Despite years of passionate public education, most keepers still treat this montane specialist like a desert gecko. Jackson's needs cold nights and fog, not heat lamps and dry air. 

Adults might survive for a few weeks in these conditions, but babies? They rarely make it past the second month. The result: a tragic parade of juvenile casualties, all because people think "chameleon" means "tropical lizard." But who cares? They are a property. They have been bought. Cheap. So, let us get another one. This one was a bad boy to die. It was his fault.

Everyone who buys one of these tiny dinosaurs for a few bucks suddenly becomes an expert in African climate. They'll swear, with full confidence, that Africa is hot and dry—because of course it is. That's what everyone knows. No need to spend even five seconds checking facts. No need to ask where these majestic, horned testaments to evolutionary brilliance actually live. Because in their minds, Africa is just one big sunburned desert where people walk around naked because it's too hot to wear clothes. Everyone knows. And everyone is badly mistaken. 

The truth? Where Trioceros jacksonii comes from, you'd need a raincoat, a sweater, and probably a thermos of hot tea to survive the night. These chameleons hail from misty montane forests, where the air is cold, the nights are colder, and fog rolls in like clockwork. It's not the Africa of travel brochures or Hollywood clichés. It's the Africa of altitude, cloud forests, and ecosystems that punish ignorance with dead reptiles in overheated terrariums.

But hey—everyone knows. Until their chameleon doesn't.

Adults might survive for a few weeks in these conditions, but babies? They rarely make it past the second month. The result: a tragic parade of juvenile casualties, all because people think "chameleon" means "tropical lizard." But who cares? They are a property. They have been bought. Cheap. So, let us get another one. This one was a bad boy to die. It was his fault.

Now the economy. 

Here's where things get ugly. It's a federal offense to collect, keep, trade, or transport Jackson's chameleons from Hawaii to mainland USA. 

But that hasn't stopped thousands from being smuggled in illegally. These animals are laundered through the pet trade with fake documentation and sold so cheaply that legitimate breeders can't compete. Raising babies properly is expensive, and when the market is flooded with bargain-bin specimens, breeders give up. The few that survive often suffer from metabolic bone disease, and males end up with tragically crooked horns—like a Triceratops that grew up in a collapsing dollhouse.

There are still good men under the skies.

That's why it's a rare and noble achievement when a captive male of this dinosaur-like chameleon reaches adulthood in perfect condition, with beautifully formed rostral horns that rival his wild cousins from the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya and the Nyambene Range. Credit for this triumph goes to Courtney West, USA. 

For comparison, see the wild males from Kenya photographed by Petr Nečas (top) and a pittiful freak produced by wrong anonymous captive care (Chameleon Forums, above).