Jackson's Chameleon

Trioceros jacksonii

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing Jackson’s chameleons. Jackson’s chameleons are also known as three horned chameleons, but this common name can be a little misleading because Jackson’s chameleons aren’t the only chameleons that sport horns. Male Jackson’s chameleons have three pronounced horns on their heads - one on the nose and the other two above each eye - these horns give these lizards a similar appearance to a well known Cretaceous dinosaur: the triceratops. Female Jackson’s chameleons, however, don’t have such flashy headgear and, in fact, may have no horns at all. Some female Jackon’s chameleons may have a single, much shorter nose bump, without any eye horns at all, and others may have just slightly raised areas above their eyes - but they never attain the horns found in males. These horns are used in fighting matches between males.

Jackson’s chameleons are arboreal, meaning they spend a large majority of their lives living in trees - though they will absolutely live in shrubs, hedges, and other smaller vegetation if it’s available. Natively, Jackson’s chameleons are from Africa, but they’ve also been introduced to places like Hawaii and California through releases from the pet trade. In fact, most Jackson’s chameleons in the pet market these days are from the colonies that formed in these non-native areas after their release. These lizards are typically found in highland areas staying in forests one mile (1600km) or higher in elevation. They do also live in man-made settings like agricultural fields and suburban areas as long as there is adequate foliage and food.

Jackson’s chameleons eat invertebrates including spiders, insects, millipedes, centipedes, snails, and earthworms. They are diurnal, and, like other chameleons, a Jackson’s chameleon uses its long, sticky tongue to catch prey. Male Jackson’s chameleons are longer than females reaching up to 15 inches (38cm) in length including their tails. Unlike anoles and geckos, chameleons can’t drop their tails. Chameleon tails are actually really important because they’re prehensile and help them cling to branches as they navigate through trees. Female Jackson’s chameleons may be up to 10 inches (25.4cm) in length and they are reported to have shorter lifespans than males - probably because they put a lot of energy into producing offspring.

Male Jackson’s chameleons are highly territorial and will attempt to knock each other from branches in jousting matches using their horns. Like other chameleons, Jackson’s chameleons can change color based on their mood. For example, a male Jackson’s chameleon may turn nearly black if he’s feeling angry! When a victor emerges from the Jackson’s chameleon jousting match, he’ll follow the scent of a nearby female and put on threat displays towards her, too. If she responds with just as aggressive a display this indicates that she’s not interested in the male, but if she responds weakly or with no display at all, the male will know she’s available to mate. He’ll climb on top of her and may even grab her neck in his mouth. After mating, they’ll part ways. The female will gestate for the next six months or so and then give birth to anywhere from 7 to 30 babies. Jackson’s chameleons are oddballs because they don’t lay eggs. The babies are born in a thin sac that will rip shortly after their birth. The babies are on their own from birth and the female may breed again just twenty days after giving birth! It takes about nine months for the young to reach reproductive maturity.

Threats to Jackson’s chameleons include birds, snakes, other lizards, even small mammals like shrews. If they can avoid these predators, however, males may live to be upwards of ten years old while females may not quite reach this age. If you think these lizards look familiar, you may recognize them from a popular American television show. Liz the chameleon from The Magic School Bus is, in fact, a Jackson’s chameleon!

For more facts on jackson’s chameleons, check out the link in the description. Thank you to Zrgly for today’s request! Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!