The Parsons' Chameleon and the Power of the Rare Meal

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.

While their daily diet mostly consists of invertebrates, Parsons' chameleons have occasionally been observed taking small vertebrate prey, such as birds. These incidents are rare but telling—proof of their potent speed and ballistic tongue precision. Striking from a branch, they can seize an unsuspecting fledgling in a split second.

Why does it matter? Because prey like this, eaten perhaps once every few weeks, is a nutritional jackpot. Vertebrates offer compounds—especially preformed vitamin A (retinol)—that insects typically lack in meaningful amounts. This vitamin is critical for vision, immune response, and reproduction, and its deficiency can quietly erode health over time. For Parsons', a small bird might be less about calories and more about survival chemistry.

For those caring for large chameleons, especially in Southeast Asia, there's a local alternative: balut—a fertilized duck egg rich in yolk, protein, and bioavailable nutrients. Known as trứng vịt lộn in Vietnam and beloved in Filipino cuisine, balut is a traditional street food that also happens to be a powerhouse of animal-based nutrition. And it's surprisingly accessible—sold in ethnic markets across Europe and the U.S.

Whether wild or in human care, these giants remind us that for some species, it's not just what you eat—it's what you're missing. And sometimes, one perfectly timed meal makes all the difference.