OShaughnessy’s Chameleon (Calumma oshaughnessyi)

Manaova toy ny dian-tana jerena ny aloha, todihina ny afara. Like the chameleon, one eye on the future, one eye on the past. ———-Malagasy proverb

This is another one of many endemic reptiles found on Madagascar.   It has a very restricted range, depending on relatively intact humid forests in a band of the southeast portion of the island. 

While it can survive in managed, selectively harvested forests, it is threatened by loss of humid forest from slash and burn agriculture, logging for construction material and the production of charcoal, and cattle grazing.  This species appears to prefer a narrow band of elevation around 4,100 ft, corresponding to the type of forest habitat requirements.

The species is named after William Edgar O’Shaughnessy, who was of Irish descent but born in England and eventually became a herpetologist at the British Museum.  He died early, at the age of 36 after contracting a “chill” while walking home in the rain after attending the theater. 

Following his death, he was honored with the species name oshaughnessyi for four new species of lizards described by his colleagues Albert Gunther and George Albert Boulenger.

Interestingly, he was also a poet with four published works, the last, Songs of a Worker, published posthumously in 1881.

This species grows to about 15 inches in total length, and weigh about 4 ounces.  It has heterogeneous scales along its sides; regular pattern of much larger scales interspersed among smaller ones.  This can be used to distinguish it from the similar Parson’s chameleon, which has more uninform scales along its side.  Which is all well and good – but try to figure that out at night, in the midst, while looking for chameleons up in the trees. 

Males have a short, bony structure on the snout that the females lack.  The species, like most chameleons, is active in the early morning and part of the evening.   For a greater part of the evening they will sleep, like many chameleons, on the outer end of small branches that that will hold their weight.  This is to minimize the chance that a snake will sneak up on them.  Overall this species can be found in the dense part of the rainforest where there are tall trees and lianas.

Chameleons have independent eye movement that allows them to keep an eye out for prey and predators alike.  They feed on insects (sometimes small lizards/frogs) with the thrust of their long, sticky tongues.  Feeding

The word chameleon is of Greek derivation chamai (on the ground or earth) and leon (lion).  So, an earth lion.

The above photo was taken in the night at Ranomafana National Park, with a 200 mm lens, so the chameleon was about 30 feet away.  We were walking along with a guide (required) and spotting chameleons and lemurs with our headlamps.  Our guide found this one but then quickly moved his light away from the animal, explaining that it was relaxed and therefore quite colorful.  If the light was kept on him he would dull his colors to become more cryptic.  So, I was lucky to get a quick photo before we left him alone.

Here’s a video of a chameleon changing color pretty quickly.  Color change