Charmin' Chameleons

            I'm back! Sorry for the extended holiday break, but now I'm back and ready to go. So, while I was on my blog hiatus we survived the Mayan apocalypse (Congrats guys). I think it is high time for me to start posting again. This week, I'm not exactly reporting on any current science news, but am instead posting about Jackson's chameleons because I got to play with some recently and the pictures are too adorable/awesome to waste.

            We have all been lied to! Chameleons don't actually change color to blend into their surroundings - but rather depending on their mood, health, and temperature. So, the fanciful chameleons of my childhood becoming plaid, polka doted, or any other wacky pattern is just a figment of our imaginations.

             I recently did a story for my news reporting class about my University getting two new Jackson's Chameleons (scientific name: Trioceros jacksonii). Their scientific name comes from the Greek words "tri" meaning three and "keras" meaning horns. It is very similar to the name of the Triceratops dinosaur, as they have a similar horn structure.

            Jackson's chameleons are easily recognized by the three horns that males (and some females) have on their faces. You may remember Liz from the Magic School bus - she was Ms. Frizzle's pet chameleon and has the look of a Jackson's chameleon. They grow to be around 10 inches long and can live around 9 years in captivity. The design of their eyes allows them to see nearly 360 degrees and their tongue is nearly 1.5x the length of their bodies.

            Jackson chameleons were first discovered by a zoologist named George Albert Boulenger in 1896. He discovered the common Jackson's chameleon subspecies (Trioceros jacksonii jacksonii). The other subspecies: the Dwarf Jackson's chameleon (Trioceros jacksonii merumontanus) and the Yellow-crested Jackson's chameleon (Trioceros jacksonii xantholophus) were discovered in 1958 and 1988 respectively.

             These chameleons are actually native to Kenya and northern Tanzania (Eastern Africa) and are invasive species in parts of the United States - namely Hawaii. The yellow-crested Jackson's chameleons were originally brought to Hawaii in the 1970s, so they could be bred as exotic pets. They have since established populations on every major Hawaiian island and are considered invasive, though they are not known as particularly harmful. There have been reports of the chameleons eating native Hawaiian insects and snails.

            So enjoy the photos and if you can't get enough of the crazy reptiles then there is always Rango in Rango (voiced by Johnny Depp - so they have to be cool) and Pascal from Disney's Tangled. These are the most recent pop culture chameleons, though they aren't Jackson's.