"They are eating machines," Karsten said. "These chameleons eat any arthropod that crosses in front of them. If you sit and watch them for as little as five minutes, you will see them catch food several times." They need ample energy in order to grow fast and reach sexual maturity in two months, he explained. During this voracious appetite phase, very little social interaction takes place, but that dramatically changes when the reptiles reach adulthood. At that time, "males engage in very fierce, physically intensive combat and courtship begins," Karsten said. "Courtship is a bit odd in this species in that it's not as romantic of an idea as many people might think -- males and unwilling females will often engage in physical fights, and we even see this between pairs that eventually end up mating." Color plays a big role in mating, with females acting like living mood rings. The scientists theorize the chameleons are pumped up with testosterone, which is linked to aggressive behaviors and can promote mating, fighting and territorial disputes. On the flip side, it can also suppress the immune system. After just two or so months of frenzied mating and egg-laying, the chameleons start to move more slowly, lose body mass and have trouble gripping branches. Many of them literally drop dead by falling from trees after just four to five months of life outside of their eggs. The World Conservation Union includes the chameleon in its IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It has been classified as "vulnerable," but that may soon change. Another study conducted by researchers at the American Museum of Natural History found that many of Madagascar's chameleons, along with certain geckos, skinks and frogs, are shifting their habitats in response to global warming. In the country's mountainous northern regions, several of these animals appear to be scrambling ever upward in a desperate attempt to beat the heat. Lead author Christopher Raxworthy said that "with a phenomenon like global warming, species will move upslope, and so eventually may still lose all of their habitat and go extinct." Karsten pointed out that additional studies on the short-lived chameleon may directly benefit humans, since the recent findings "provide an ideal system to try and address how vertebrates age." Related Links: |
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