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Talk about good camouflage!
Scientists say they have found an elusive chameleon species that was last seen in Madagascar 100 years ago.
Frank Rain / AP
Researchers from Madagascar and Germany said they discovered several live specimens of the Voeltzkow chameleon during an expedition to the northwest of the African island nation.
Researchers from Madagascar and Germany said on Friday they discovered several live specimens of the Voeltzkow chameleon during an expedition to the northwest of the African island nation.
In a report published in the magazine Salamander, the team led by scientists from the ZSM Bavarian Natural History Collections said genetic analysis determined that the species is closely related to the Labord’s chameleon.
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The researchers believe that both reptiles only live during the rainy season: they hatch from eggs, grow rapidly, train with rivals, mate, and then die for a few months.
Frank Rain / AP
This photo, provided by Staatliche Naturwissenschftliche Sammlung Bayerns, shows a female from Voeltzkow-Chameleon in Madagascar.
“These animals are basically the ephemeral among vertebrates,” said Frank Glaw, curator of reptiles and amphibians at the ZSM.
The researchers said the female of the species, which had never been documented before, displayed particularly colorful patterns during pregnancy, when she encountered males and when she was stressed.
Scientists say that the habitat of the Voeltzkow chameleon is threatened by deforestation.
