Lizard Finally Turns Up, 100 Years Later

Living specimens of Voeltzkow's chameleon are found in Madagascar
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Oct 31, 2020 11:30 AM CDT
This Chameleon Stayed Hidden for 100 Years
This photos taken on Thursday, March 12, 2020 and provide by the Staatliche Naturwissenschftliche Sammlung Bayerns, SNSB, shows a Voeltzkow-Chameleon in Madagascar.   (SNSB/Frank Glaw via AP)

Talk about good camouflage! Scientists say they have found an elusive chameleon species that was last spotted in Madagascar 100 years ago. Researchers from Madagascar and Germany said Friday that they discovered several living specimens of Voeltzkow's chameleon during an expedition to the northwest of the African island nation. In a report published in the journal Salamandra, the team led by scientists from the Bavarian Natural History Collections ZSM said genetic analysis determined that the species is closely related to Labord’s chameleon. Researchers believe that both reptiles only live during the rainy season—hatching from eggs, growing rapidly, sparring with rivals, mating, and then dying during a few short months.

"These animals are basically the mayflies among vertebrae," said Frank Glaw, curator for reptiles and amphibians at the ZSM. Researchers said the female of the species, which had never previously been documented, displayed particularly colorful patterns during pregnancy, when encountering males and when stressed. The scientist say that Voeltzkow's chameleon's habitat is under threat from deforestation.

(More lizards stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X