Celebrate International Chameleon Day on May 9

Did you know there’s a whole new day to celebrate Madagascar’s wildlife?

The first annual International Chameleon Day will be celebrated on May 9, 2024! This special day is organized by LCN supporting member, Wildlife Madagascar, who says:

Chameleons definitely deserve their day in the sun: they aren’t like any other species on Earth, they capture people’s imaginations, and they are in need of protection. We hope International Chameleon Day will encourage more people to appreciate and admire chameleons.

There are 228 species of chameleons, and almost half of them live in Madagascar! (97 to be exact.) This amazing diversity is certainly a reason to celebrate.

The Amber Mountain chameleon lives in northern Madagascar. Photo: Wildlife Madagascar.

How to Participate

Check out Wildlife Madagascar’s website to:
Share about International Chameleon Day on social media with these hashtags:
#show your colors #internationalchameleonday #chameleonday #chameleondayMay9
Listen to a new episode of Pangolin: the Conservation Podcast about chameleons with Chris Anderson and Fano Ratsoavina

Let’s Learn About Chameleons!

Like many animals around the world, they are threatened by habitat loss and climate change.

Chameleons are diurnal and solitary. That means they are most active during the day, and they hang out by themselves! Different chameleon species live in different habitats, including rainforest, woodland and scrubland, montane forest, and desert. Chameleons eat mostly insects, but sometimes will eat small reptiles, amphibians, or birds.

Parson’s Chameleon

The world’s largest chameleon is the Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsoni).

It can grow up to 27 inches (68 cm) long and weighs up to 1.5 pounds (700 g)!

This chameleon is found in pockets of humid forest in eastern and northern Madagascar, including Masoala National Park. Like many chameleons, it has a prehensile tail that can hold on to tree branches while climbing. Unlike some other lizards, the tail of a chameleon cannot be broken off and regrown.

Chameleons, including the Parson’s, use their tongue to catch insects. Check out this detail from Wildlife Madagascar:

Chameleons are known for their long, sticky tongues that they use to catch prey. A special group of muscles allows a chameleon to snap its tongue out from 0 to 60 mph in 1/100th of a second! The tip of their tongue is coated with a sticky goo that helps trap its prey, such as crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, and other insects. Some larger chameleons also eat small birds or even other lizards.

Panther Chameleon

Another beautiful chameleon species that lives in Madagascar is the Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis). This chameleon also likes its time alone! You can find them hanging out in trees in the forests and shrubland of northern and coastal Madagascar.

This chameleon is known for its bright colors!

Check out this detail from Wildlife Madagascar:

There are some consistent color patterns, referred to as “morphs,” or “localities,” within different habitat regions. But overall, these chameleons show a riot of color, including many shades of blue, green, and turquoise, bright yellow, pink, and orange, and even startling red. There is also wide variation of patterns, spots, stripes, and bands. Males are typically more brightly colored than females, and like all chameleons, this species uses color as a form of communication.

Panther chameleons mostly eat bugs!

Some of their favorites are grasshoppers, locusts, beetles, moths, and flies. They are known as opportunistic hunters. This means that they watch and wait for prey to pass by and then quickly snap out their tongue to catch it!

The panther chameleon is listed as a species of “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List. However, Wildlife Madagascar notes:

It is one of the most sought-after species of chameleon in the international pet trade, which could begin to negatively impact wild populations. Stricter trade quotas have been enforced in Madagascar, and recent export levels are thought to be within a sustainable range.