Chameleons in Madagascar
Madagascar is famous for its biological diversity. This nature stands out for its beauty, colors 
and sometimes even for its strangeness, always surprising and moving. Chameleons are a testament to the richness of this local fauna and flora. The variety of existing species, their colors, sizes, and shapes make them all completely fascinating.
In Madagascar, we find more than half of the 150 chameleon species existing worldwide, and a large part of the species is. Chameleons in Madagascar are even endemic to the island. They can be distinguished into three main chameleon species: the larger Furcifer, the Calumma known for its horns, and Brookesia, which belongs to the smaller chameleons.
Description of Chameleons in Madagascar
The scientific name for chameleons is “Chamaeleonidae”, a species from the family of lizards, specifically a descendant of a suborder of reptiles. It is a four-legged tree-dweller that feeds exclusively on insects.
The morphology of a chameleon varies depending on the species, in Madagascar the size ranges from 25 millimeters (the smallest chameleons in the world!) to 50 centimeters (including tail).
The Head
Just like a benevolent avatar, the head of the chameleon varies depending on its size, but especially on its type. Larger ones like the Furcifer genus have a certain flat bump that forms a ridge or helmet on the head. Most of these creatures have this helmet, but the smaller ones do not.
The eyes of these animals are exorbitant and can rotate independently (between the two eyes), allowing them to watch out for their enemies, the crows. Discover small treats like crickets or mosquitoes that are very crispy. In these cases, these bulging eyes allow for better hunting precision. Unfortunately, some researchers lack a rod (the light-sensitive cells of the retina), so it seems that chameleons become almost blind at night.
Nutrition and Insect Hunting
Remember that this animal feeds exclusively on insects like flies and butterflies, but the favorite food of island chameleons is grasshoppers and crickets. For this, the chameleon has a rather long tongue, which is stored in the head with the hyoid bone.
Equipped with great muscle strength, the chameleon can extend its tongue. Move back and forth as you please: It’s a real natural harpoon, its small hunting tool. It can also reach a speed of 20km/h at launch! The wall of its tongue is filled with viscous slime, which serves as a net or more precisely as a kind of glue to immobilize its prey. Then it is brought back into the mouth by retracting the tongue. Bon appétit!
The skin of the chameleon
The skin of the Madagascar chameleon is pigmented and has different layers of skin that allow it to change color depending on its environment or a posture it wants to convey. Special cells, 
Chameleons are known for their ability to change color to blend in with their surroundings or to communicate with other chameleons. This unique trait is due to the presence of specialized cells called chromatophores in the deeper layers of their skin.
These chromatophores allow chameleons to take on colors such as red, yellow, and white. Chameleons also have yellow and red pigments called melanin in their skin cells.
Recently, Swiss researchers from the University of Geneva conducted experiments on a Panther chameleon native to the island. They claim that the elements controlling color change in chameleons are “nanocrystals.” These tiny crystals are located in a superficial layer of skin cells called “iridophores.”
“These nanocrystals, arranged in multiple layers, are responsible for the chameleon’s ability to change color,” explained the researchers. “They play a crucial role in the chameleon’s camouflage and communication strategies.” Responding to the wavelengths of light by reflecting blue tones,” say researchers. Many reptiles possess these crystals, but the only one capable of arranging its own crystals at will is the chameleon.
Known for its colorful metamorphosis, the widespread belief that chameleons change color to camouflage themselves appears to be incomplete. For the chameleons of Madagascar, color changes would also be a means of communication between them. It is another way.
Chameleons are known for their ability to change color to express their moods or attitudes, such as the desire to mate.
Researchers have identified 200 species of chameleons worldwide. 150 species are found here on the large island of Madagascar, including 59 endemic species.
Categorization of endemic chameleons in Madagascar
The chameleons of Madagascar live only on the island and are divided into three genera. Namely: Furcifer, Brookesia, and Calumma, which have 84 subspecies inhabiting various habitats and regions of the Big Island.
Brookesia Chameleons
Brookesia, also known as leaf chameleons, is an endemic genus of pygmy chameleons native only to Madagascar.
This genus inhabits the forest floor in the primary forests of Madagascar and comprises about 30 species.
Brookesia Micro, for example, a tiny chameleon measuring 25 millimeters in length, belongs to this genus. It is considered the smallest reptile on Earth. Unlike other species, Brookesia chameleons lack a prehensile tail. They are mostly terrestrial chameleons, whose tails are not used much compared to other genera.
Furcifer Chameleons
Measuring 50 cm (including tail), this chameleon genus includes the largest species in Madagascar. The genus predominantly lives in of Madagaskar zu finden.
Chameleons are fascinating creatures that can be found in trees or clearings. The Oustalet Chameleon, Panther Chameleon, and Furcifer minor are some of the most beautiful species of chameleons. They feed on insects and small reptiles.
Madagascar is home to some of the most colorful chameleons, with the ability to change colors visibly. They are of medium size, with males being significantly larger than females.
– Furcifer Bifidus group consists of six species that live in the rainforest.
– Furcifer pardalis group also consists of six species, found in the northern part of Madagascar.
Native to Madagascar and living in lowlands.
– Furcifer Verrucosus group consists of three species, with the most famous being F. Oustaletti, which is widespread in the highlands and south.
– Furcifer Rhinoceratus group consists of three species and are medium-sized chameleons.
– Furcifer Lateralis group consists of two species.
This chameleon genus currently includes about 20 species.
Calumma Chameleons
Like the Furcicifer chameleons, these reptiles have a very colorful appearance with rapid and remarkable color changes.
Male chameleons in this genus are also larger than females and they have a
Distinct structures on top.
This group consists of nearly 40 species and lives exclusively on shrubs and trees in different habitats up to almost 2000m altitude.
Chameleons in Malagasy Culture
In Malagasy culture, the chameleon holds an important place. In some regions, it is part of many stories and legends and sometimes even a source of superstition.
Today, chameleons have a solid place in the biological diversity and culture of the country. However, the alarming increase in deforestation and bushfires threatens
Mythology and Dealing with the Afterlife
In most ethnic groups in Africa and the Caribbean, the chameleon is seen as a symbol of adaptability and resourcefulness. It is often associated with the ability to navigate between different worlds and adapt to changing circumstances.
Islands are associated with various myths involving the presence of chameleons, which are seen as messengers between humans and deities. In the past, chameleons were carriers of a specific message sent by the highest beings.
As in the myth of the origin of death: the chameleon’s task was to deliver the divine message to humans that they should die and be reborn, and that death is only temporary. Thus, the chameleon is considered a symbol of eternal life in various myths. However, as a sacrifice. In their slow pace, faster animals like the hare, birds, or lizard were tasked with delivering the opposite of the messages of the deities to humans. But these faster animals arrived first! According to their words, the deities reaffirmed that death is permanent, that resurrection does not exist for humans.
The chameleon arrived later and confirmed that “humans die, but are then reborn”. But humans no longer believed it and did not accept its message that death is only temporary. In this way, humans became mortal.
This myth is quite widespread on the African continent. The belief in the existence of the “Angst” or superstition surrounding the Betsimisaraka people in Madagascar is deeply rooted in their culture. This species is considered a mediator between humans and nature, or even between humans and higher beings. Literature on this topic includes “Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar” by Vences & Glaw, Cologne 2007, ISBN 978-3-929449-03-7.
