Chris Anderson is a research biologist at the University of South Florida. He has been working with chameleons for many years and is well respected within related circles. Readers of this interview will learn a little about speciation, conservation, and of course Chris himself. Many thanks to Chris for taking the time to answer these questions in such detail. Enjoy the interview.
website: www.chamaeleonidae.com
========================
Let’s begin with a simple introduction. Who are you and what do you do?
When did your interest in reptiles begin? Tell us a little about your first chameleon.
You have shown great interest in chameleons and have become a highly respected member of the community. What is it about the family Chamaeleonidae that continues to draw your attention?
Can you tell us a little about your education and academic pursuits?
Are you working on any books or publications relating to chameleons that you can openly discuss? Will the community ever see a book on Amazon authored by Chris Anderson?
You have participated in various reptile and chameleon related trips or expeditions worldwide. Do you have a favorite location or perhaps one that you look forward to visiting the most?
Chameleon News has been a fantastic resource for chameleon enthusiasts. What has been the most difficult aspect in maintaining the website? What are your future plans for Chameleon News?
What are your thoughts on chameleon conservation and the sustainability of current populations over time. How many chameleon species do you expect to exist 50 or 100 years from now? How much influence does the pet industry have on your expectations?
What can keepers and enthusiasts do to best promote conservation efforts?
Here is a question related to taxonomy and speciation. What is the difference between a locale and a subspecies? For example, why are the various Furcifer pardalis locales not classified as subspecies?
You have various experience with a large number of chameleon species. Which are your favorites and why?
website: www.chamaeleonidae.com
========================
Let’s begin with a simple introduction. Who are you and what do you do?
Professionally I’m a biologist finishing my Ph.D. doing research on chameleons. As a hobby, I am a herpetoculturist and breeder of chameleons. As part of both my profession and my hobby, I work hard to try to help increase our knowledge and understanding of what I consider to be some of the most interesting animals on the planet.
I started keeping chameleons in 1997, when I was 13, but from as early as I can remember, I always had pets. This first pet chameleon, however, quickly turned into an obsession that ultimately has been a driving force of much of my life ever since. Since getting my first chameleon, I've developed a number of chameleon related websites, taken various trips to see and study chameleons in their natural habitat, written numerous popular press articles on their care and natural history, gained experience with over 60 different species and subspecies in captivity, including breeding many of those, and conducted scientific research in the lab and in the wild on them.
I started keeping chameleons in 1997, when I was 13, but from as early as I can remember, I always had pets. This first pet chameleon, however, quickly turned into an obsession that ultimately has been a driving force of much of my life ever since. Since getting my first chameleon, I've developed a number of chameleon related websites, taken various trips to see and study chameleons in their natural habitat, written numerous popular press articles on their care and natural history, gained experience with over 60 different species and subspecies in captivity, including breeding many of those, and conducted scientific research in the lab and in the wild on them.
When did your interest in reptiles begin? Tell us a little about your first chameleon.
I've been interested in reptiles and amphibians for as long as I can remember. My first memory as a child is of going out into the mangroves on my dad’s shoulders while we lived in Indonesia to see the water monitors and macaques. From an early age I knew I wanted to work with reptiles and amphibians and they've been a passion of mine ever since. I was always fascinated by chameleons and my parents helped me start keeping reptiles and amphibians as pets at a very young age, but they were very wary about letting me keep chameleons for a long time.
My grandfather was and still is an avid animal person. While my father was growing up, he, his brothers and sister, and my grandfather had numerous animals as pets and breeding projects. Animals they worked with ranged from various parrots and birds (my grandfather’s main interests have always been birds) to tortoises, turtles and monitors, and even to bats and otters. Included in the long list of animals they had were chameleons. Unfortunately, like so many people trying to work with them in those days, the chameleons never did well for them and the notion that chameleons did not do well in captivity was strongly embedded with my father.
I finally convinced my parents to let me try to keep chameleons in 1997 when I was in 8th grade. They told me that if I did enough research they would let me get one. For the next six months, I read everything I could find on chameleons, bought every book I could get my hands on and bothered every chameleon person I could find on AOL Instant Messenger. Every week I went through the yellow pages calling pet stores to find out what chameleons they had and made my parents cart me around town to see every one of them.
Finally, after about six months of research, my parents bit the bullet and let me get a chameleon. I really wanted to get a male veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus), but all I could find were females. Seeing me torn between wanting a male and not wanting to wait any longer to get a chameleon, my dad, who even though he was just as excited always tried hard act like he needed convincing, agreed to let me get a female and then get a male later on as well. After picking out my subadult female veiled, we took her home and set her up.
I had done enough research to know how she needed to be setup and how to take care of her. Over the next two weeks, she did well and we all were quite impressed with how interesting chameleons were. Then I was able to find an adult male and my dad and I quickly went to look him over. When we arrived, we found a very large, very aggressive adult male. He gaped, hissed and lunged at anything that came near him and despite both my dad and I being nervous about handling him, we convinced ourselves to get him.
With this second purchase came my first encounters with any issues in keeping chameleons. First, because my father and I were both apprehensive about holding the male, we failed to look over him closely prior to purchasing him. When we got home, however, we noticed that he had a hemipenal prolapse that hadn’t been addressed or treated for a prolonged period. The organ was dried and obviously dead when we noticed the issue. Naturally, the shop I purchased him from claimed he was not like that when I purchased him and suddenly, I needed to treat him for his ailment. My next issue was that despite knowing better and having read all the warnings, I decided to try to cohabitate my pair. This seemed to work out fine for a while until one day I discovered my female hiding in the bottom corner of their cage, black in color and with a bite mark on her head. Fortunately, I treated my male’s prolapse, separated my pair, and treated the female’s bite and each went on to live long lives.
My grandfather was and still is an avid animal person. While my father was growing up, he, his brothers and sister, and my grandfather had numerous animals as pets and breeding projects. Animals they worked with ranged from various parrots and birds (my grandfather’s main interests have always been birds) to tortoises, turtles and monitors, and even to bats and otters. Included in the long list of animals they had were chameleons. Unfortunately, like so many people trying to work with them in those days, the chameleons never did well for them and the notion that chameleons did not do well in captivity was strongly embedded with my father.
I finally convinced my parents to let me try to keep chameleons in 1997 when I was in 8th grade. They told me that if I did enough research they would let me get one. For the next six months, I read everything I could find on chameleons, bought every book I could get my hands on and bothered every chameleon person I could find on AOL Instant Messenger. Every week I went through the yellow pages calling pet stores to find out what chameleons they had and made my parents cart me around town to see every one of them.
Finally, after about six months of research, my parents bit the bullet and let me get a chameleon. I really wanted to get a male veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus), but all I could find were females. Seeing me torn between wanting a male and not wanting to wait any longer to get a chameleon, my dad, who even though he was just as excited always tried hard act like he needed convincing, agreed to let me get a female and then get a male later on as well. After picking out my subadult female veiled, we took her home and set her up.
I had done enough research to know how she needed to be setup and how to take care of her. Over the next two weeks, she did well and we all were quite impressed with how interesting chameleons were. Then I was able to find an adult male and my dad and I quickly went to look him over. When we arrived, we found a very large, very aggressive adult male. He gaped, hissed and lunged at anything that came near him and despite both my dad and I being nervous about handling him, we convinced ourselves to get him.
With this second purchase came my first encounters with any issues in keeping chameleons. First, because my father and I were both apprehensive about holding the male, we failed to look over him closely prior to purchasing him. When we got home, however, we noticed that he had a hemipenal prolapse that hadn’t been addressed or treated for a prolonged period. The organ was dried and obviously dead when we noticed the issue. Naturally, the shop I purchased him from claimed he was not like that when I purchased him and suddenly, I needed to treat him for his ailment. My next issue was that despite knowing better and having read all the warnings, I decided to try to cohabitate my pair. This seemed to work out fine for a while until one day I discovered my female hiding in the bottom corner of their cage, black in color and with a bite mark on her head. Fortunately, I treated my male’s prolapse, separated my pair, and treated the female’s bite and each went on to live long lives.
You have shown great interest in chameleons and have become a highly respected member of the community. What is it about the family Chamaeleonidae that continues to draw your attention?
Chameleons are truly unusual animals with an incredible suite of bizarre characteristics that draw attention from anyone who sees them. Their unique combination of zygodactylous feet, prehensile tail, independently rotating eyes, color changing ability, ballistic tongue projection, and other behavioral traits establish a curiosity that is hard to ignore and I’ve always been drawn to that. Once you look a little closer at chameleons, however, you realize that not only are they incredibly different from any other animal, but they are also incredibly diverse in their own right.
Few people seem to realize just how diverse chameleons truly are. There are currently 11 genera of chameleon with over 200 recognized species and subspecies in them. Those species span an approximate 20-fold range in adult total length and a 2000-fold range in body mass. There are species that give live birth, while others lay eggs. The eggs of some species incubate for 8-9 months but the chameleons only live 5 months out of the egg and experience a complete population die-off each year leaving the only living specimens of the species as incubating embryos in buried egg clutches. Different species inhabit an incredible range of environments from desert sand dunes where substrate temperatures reach up to 67ºC (153ºF) with less than 200mm of annual rainfall to rainforests with over 3000mm of annual rainfall or alpine zones where temperatures are known to drop to -2ºC (28ºF). Different species have none, one, two, three, four, or even six horns. There are occipital lobes, sail fins, crests of all shapes and sizes, scales of all textures and combinations, and ever color and combination you can imagine. I find this type of diversity absolutely incredible and I’m continuously blown away by how unique, but also how diverse chameleons are.
Few people seem to realize just how diverse chameleons truly are. There are currently 11 genera of chameleon with over 200 recognized species and subspecies in them. Those species span an approximate 20-fold range in adult total length and a 2000-fold range in body mass. There are species that give live birth, while others lay eggs. The eggs of some species incubate for 8-9 months but the chameleons only live 5 months out of the egg and experience a complete population die-off each year leaving the only living specimens of the species as incubating embryos in buried egg clutches. Different species inhabit an incredible range of environments from desert sand dunes where substrate temperatures reach up to 67ºC (153ºF) with less than 200mm of annual rainfall to rainforests with over 3000mm of annual rainfall or alpine zones where temperatures are known to drop to -2ºC (28ºF). Different species have none, one, two, three, four, or even six horns. There are occipital lobes, sail fins, crests of all shapes and sizes, scales of all textures and combinations, and ever color and combination you can imagine. I find this type of diversity absolutely incredible and I’m continuously blown away by how unique, but also how diverse chameleons are.
Can you tell us a little about your education and academic pursuits?
I spent my junior and senior years of high school at an international school in the Czech Republic where I was able to graduate with my International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. During this time, I was also fortunate enough to travel to South East Asia and Australia with an an artist who was working on building up material to complete plates for an ornithological text, thus gaining official fieldwork experience. I later was also able to travel to Madagascar to collect observational notes of my own on chameleons.
After graduating from high school I went to Cornell University for my undergraduate education. There I majored in Animal Science and was fortunate enough to be selected to receive a four year research scholarship called the Cornell Presidential Research Scholars, which included research support. Through this research support, I was able to get involved in research going on at Cornell and gain hands on experience both in the lab and in the field doing biological research. While this research was not exactly the type of research I am involved in now, gaining experience in university level research is important for anyone wanting to go on to pursue a higher degree in biology. I was able to graduate after four years with my Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree and then began working toward getting into a graduate program.
I took the opportunity to come to the University of South Florida’s Department of Integrative Biology a year later as a Master of Science (M.S.) student working with Stephen Deban. Dr. Deban studies the physiology and biomechanics of movement, specializing in feeding in amphibians, particularly ballistic tongue projection in salamanders. I came to his lab to work on feeding biomechanics in chameleons, but since I had never done any work in physiology and biomechanics, I initially started as a M.S. student, wanting to be sure it was a subfield I enjoyed and wanted to pursue long term. In the first year of being in Dr. Deban’s lab at USF, it was clear that I really enjoyed this type of research so I transferred from the M.S. program to the Ph.D. program with a concentration in Physiology and Morphology.
Obtaining a Ph.D. in biology typically takes 5-6 years on average with students already having a M.S. degree tending to fall on the earlier side of this spectrum. The first couple years are filled with graduate coursework and dissertation research proposal development. After completion of graduate coursework and the development of a dissertation research proposal, the Ph.D. student has to defend his dissertation research proposal to a committee of departmental faculty and pass comprehensive qualifying exams in order to become a Ph.D. Candidate and continue on to conduct their dissertation research. Once a candidate’s dissertation research is completed, they have presented their research at at least one national biology conference and submitted at least one publication on their research to a scientific peer review journal, they must successfully present and defend their dissertation to their committee and then submit their written dissertation to their committee for approval, at which point they are awarded their Ph.D.
Currently I am a Ph.D. Candidate starting my 5th year at USF and hope to finish in the next year and a half. My doctoral dissertation research focuses on how environmental perturbations, particularly temperature, impact movements powered by recoil of elastic elements. In order to answer these questions, I study feeding performance in chameleons.
After finishing my Ph.D., I plan to take a couple postdoctoral research positions with other researchers in my field in order to further build my expertise and gain experience in additional methods. After completing a couple postdocs, I hope to obtain a tenure-track faculty position at a research oriented institution where I can study questions on evolutionary morphology, functional morphology, physiological ecology, and biomechanics.
After graduating from high school I went to Cornell University for my undergraduate education. There I majored in Animal Science and was fortunate enough to be selected to receive a four year research scholarship called the Cornell Presidential Research Scholars, which included research support. Through this research support, I was able to get involved in research going on at Cornell and gain hands on experience both in the lab and in the field doing biological research. While this research was not exactly the type of research I am involved in now, gaining experience in university level research is important for anyone wanting to go on to pursue a higher degree in biology. I was able to graduate after four years with my Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree and then began working toward getting into a graduate program.
I took the opportunity to come to the University of South Florida’s Department of Integrative Biology a year later as a Master of Science (M.S.) student working with Stephen Deban. Dr. Deban studies the physiology and biomechanics of movement, specializing in feeding in amphibians, particularly ballistic tongue projection in salamanders. I came to his lab to work on feeding biomechanics in chameleons, but since I had never done any work in physiology and biomechanics, I initially started as a M.S. student, wanting to be sure it was a subfield I enjoyed and wanted to pursue long term. In the first year of being in Dr. Deban’s lab at USF, it was clear that I really enjoyed this type of research so I transferred from the M.S. program to the Ph.D. program with a concentration in Physiology and Morphology.
Obtaining a Ph.D. in biology typically takes 5-6 years on average with students already having a M.S. degree tending to fall on the earlier side of this spectrum. The first couple years are filled with graduate coursework and dissertation research proposal development. After completion of graduate coursework and the development of a dissertation research proposal, the Ph.D. student has to defend his dissertation research proposal to a committee of departmental faculty and pass comprehensive qualifying exams in order to become a Ph.D. Candidate and continue on to conduct their dissertation research. Once a candidate’s dissertation research is completed, they have presented their research at at least one national biology conference and submitted at least one publication on their research to a scientific peer review journal, they must successfully present and defend their dissertation to their committee and then submit their written dissertation to their committee for approval, at which point they are awarded their Ph.D.
Currently I am a Ph.D. Candidate starting my 5th year at USF and hope to finish in the next year and a half. My doctoral dissertation research focuses on how environmental perturbations, particularly temperature, impact movements powered by recoil of elastic elements. In order to answer these questions, I study feeding performance in chameleons.
After finishing my Ph.D., I plan to take a couple postdoctoral research positions with other researchers in my field in order to further build my expertise and gain experience in additional methods. After completing a couple postdocs, I hope to obtain a tenure-track faculty position at a research oriented institution where I can study questions on evolutionary morphology, functional morphology, physiological ecology, and biomechanics.
Are you working on any books or publications relating to chameleons that you can openly discuss? Will the community ever see a book on Amazon authored by Chris Anderson?
This is actually a question I’m sure my publisher has been wondering as well. The short answer is “yes!” but “when?” is a more complicated question. I am under contract to write a book on the diversity, natural history, captive husbandry and propagation of chameleons in which I hope to cover every currently recognized species. Considering the diversity I described earlier, however, you can tell that this is in reality a huge task. I have been slowly working on this project for some time now and had hoped to have had it finished but it is still a work in progress.
Some of the delay has been related to having to put my Ph.D. as my first priority. For my research I devote a large chunk of my day to writing grant applications, research protocols, permit applications, peer review publications, etc., and going home at the end of the day to write more is often the last thing I want to do. As a result, my progress has not been as fast on my book as I would like.
That said, I do have a scientific paper on scaling patterns of the chameleon tongue apparatus that is currently in peer review and one on thermal effects on motor control patterns during feeding in chameleons that I’m working on finishing. While these papers will probably be of limited interest to most chameleon enthusiasts, I hope they will be published in the next 6 months or so and will be good examples of some of the research I do for those interested in it. And, naturally, I do have a few other things in the works that I’m sure people will find interesting once they come to fruition.
Some of the delay has been related to having to put my Ph.D. as my first priority. For my research I devote a large chunk of my day to writing grant applications, research protocols, permit applications, peer review publications, etc., and going home at the end of the day to write more is often the last thing I want to do. As a result, my progress has not been as fast on my book as I would like.
That said, I do have a scientific paper on scaling patterns of the chameleon tongue apparatus that is currently in peer review and one on thermal effects on motor control patterns during feeding in chameleons that I’m working on finishing. While these papers will probably be of limited interest to most chameleon enthusiasts, I hope they will be published in the next 6 months or so and will be good examples of some of the research I do for those interested in it. And, naturally, I do have a few other things in the works that I’m sure people will find interesting once they come to fruition.
You have participated in various reptile and chameleon related trips or expeditions worldwide. Do you have a favorite location or perhaps one that you look forward to visiting the most?
There are a number of places I’ve traveled to that are among the top of my list for various reasons. Places like the Galapagos Islands, Borneo, and Australia, despite their obvious lack of chameleon diversity, are incredible places to visit for their own biological diversities and unique attributes. Experiences like snorkeling with feeding marine iguanas, hiking into remote jungle to find wild orangutans, radio-telemetry tracking Australian green tree pythons, and even being held at gunpoint by illegal loggers in a protected area, are all memories that have made incredible impacts on my life. The trips and expeditions I’ve been on to chameleon habitats, however, are obviously very special for me.
My trip to Madagascar is definitely one of the most incredible experiences of my life. The diversity of habitats and species there is remarkable. Some habitats are extremely lush and you find yourself listening to lemurs and birds calling in the background as you look at all the bizarre reptiles, amphibians and insects that seem to be all over the forest floor, bushes, and trees. Other habitats seems completely inhospitable until you look closer and see countless species engaging in amazing feats of survival and flourishing in the process. The number of different chameleon species found in Madagascar is impossible to beat and traveling around the country to see them and their cohabitants in the diversity of habitats Madagascar has to offer definitely makes it one of the most interesting places I’ve ever visited.
The expedition to Cameroon’s portion of the Cameroon Volcanic Line was another favorite of mine. Many of the areas we visited on this trip were very remote and you definitely have a distinct feeling in many of the areas that you’re doing something that few westerners and chameleon enthusiasts have ever done. The triumphs of climbing to the correct elevations to find particular species and tracking down suitable habitat amongst relatively poor or out of date material and heavy deforestation and hunting pressures were some of the most rewarding and bittersweet I’ve experienced.
As for places I am looking forward to visiting, there are quite a few I want to visit or return to. In the next year I’ll be returning to both South Africa and Kenya. Although I’ve visited both before and seen chameleons in both countries, these trips should both yield a higher degree of chameleon-related focus and encounters than my previous trips. My trip to South Africa will be to conduct research in collaboration with another biologist working with chameleons and I’m excited to see the results of our study. My trip to Kenya, on the other hand is not exclusively chameleon related but will include attempts to seek out a few particular species.
My trip to Madagascar is definitely one of the most incredible experiences of my life. The diversity of habitats and species there is remarkable. Some habitats are extremely lush and you find yourself listening to lemurs and birds calling in the background as you look at all the bizarre reptiles, amphibians and insects that seem to be all over the forest floor, bushes, and trees. Other habitats seems completely inhospitable until you look closer and see countless species engaging in amazing feats of survival and flourishing in the process. The number of different chameleon species found in Madagascar is impossible to beat and traveling around the country to see them and their cohabitants in the diversity of habitats Madagascar has to offer definitely makes it one of the most interesting places I’ve ever visited.
The expedition to Cameroon’s portion of the Cameroon Volcanic Line was another favorite of mine. Many of the areas we visited on this trip were very remote and you definitely have a distinct feeling in many of the areas that you’re doing something that few westerners and chameleon enthusiasts have ever done. The triumphs of climbing to the correct elevations to find particular species and tracking down suitable habitat amongst relatively poor or out of date material and heavy deforestation and hunting pressures were some of the most rewarding and bittersweet I’ve experienced.
As for places I am looking forward to visiting, there are quite a few I want to visit or return to. In the next year I’ll be returning to both South Africa and Kenya. Although I’ve visited both before and seen chameleons in both countries, these trips should both yield a higher degree of chameleon-related focus and encounters than my previous trips. My trip to South Africa will be to conduct research in collaboration with another biologist working with chameleons and I’m excited to see the results of our study. My trip to Kenya, on the other hand is not exclusively chameleon related but will include attempts to seek out a few particular species.
Chameleon News has been a fantastic resource for chameleon enthusiasts. What has been the most difficult aspect in maintaining the website? What are your future plans for Chameleon News?
One of the best things about the Chameleons! Online E-Zine (Chameleonnews), in my opinion, is that it's a permanent source of free high-quality information on a wide range of topics written by a range of perspectives and authors. One of my main concerns has always been to maintain the high standard of information that was started with the founding team as I added additional content. As a result, I’ve tended to push for quality over quantity and realized that the overall quantity will continue to grow with time.
The biggest difficulty has been consistency of being able to get high quality articles on a diversity of topics and from a diversity of authors and perspectives. Because contributors are not paid for their articles on the E-Zine, they are putting the time and effort into providing content for nothing other than wanting to help provide a resource to the public. As important as that is for many of us, it rarely can come before other commitments such as work, family, education, etc., and completing quality articles can take a long time. Similarly, my past and present assistant editors, and webmasters, and I have similar constraints on our own time. These often make organizing new issues and content difficult and can draw out the process of building additional material.
In my opinion the E-Zine currently has a very solid range of articles which are very useful tools to the chameleon community. We may never be fast with putting new issues together, but I intend to continue to put issues out as we are able to collect enough high-quality articles and I will make sure that the information we have built up continues to be openly available to the community.
I would like to encourage people to send me article ideas, suggestions and recommendations, however. I also encourage anyone interested in writing articles to get in contact with me so we can talk about it!
The biggest difficulty has been consistency of being able to get high quality articles on a diversity of topics and from a diversity of authors and perspectives. Because contributors are not paid for their articles on the E-Zine, they are putting the time and effort into providing content for nothing other than wanting to help provide a resource to the public. As important as that is for many of us, it rarely can come before other commitments such as work, family, education, etc., and completing quality articles can take a long time. Similarly, my past and present assistant editors, and webmasters, and I have similar constraints on our own time. These often make organizing new issues and content difficult and can draw out the process of building additional material.
In my opinion the E-Zine currently has a very solid range of articles which are very useful tools to the chameleon community. We may never be fast with putting new issues together, but I intend to continue to put issues out as we are able to collect enough high-quality articles and I will make sure that the information we have built up continues to be openly available to the community.
I would like to encourage people to send me article ideas, suggestions and recommendations, however. I also encourage anyone interested in writing articles to get in contact with me so we can talk about it!
What are your thoughts on chameleon conservation and the sustainability of current populations over time. How many chameleon species do you expect to exist 50 or 100 years from now? How much influence does the pet industry have on your expectations?
We all know that there are many species of plants and animals that are in danger of extinction and chameleons are no different. Some species are quite wide spread and appear to do well in degraded, disturbed or altered habitats but this is more of the exception than the rule. A high proportion of the chameleon diversity is from more restricted ranges and rely on habitats that are becoming less pristine and more isolated and fragmented.
Last year the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) established a Chameleon Specialist Group (CSG) in an effort to bring together experts on all chameleon species aiming to promote conservation efforts and sustainable use. One of the initiatives the CSG has been working on is updating the assessments of chameleon species for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This initiative should help us understand how many species are of concern and which species are of the most severe concern. Until we have this information, its very hard to make predictions about how many chameleon species will still be around in 50 to 100 years.
The pet industry definitely has an impact on many wild chameleon populations. Some species are more highly impacted than others, and the updated IUCN Red List assessments will help paint a better picture of this. In my opinion, some of the annual export quotas of wild caught chameleons are excessive and I don’t expect them to be maintained in the long term. The quotas of some other species are much more reasonable and if additional illegal collection is avoided, these quotas should be much more sustainable.
An example where I feel the pet trade may definitely have a negative impact on a species’ survival is Rhampholeon spinosus, a species classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Because Rhampholeon spinosus was originally CITES listed under its previous classification in the genus Bradypodion (Bradypodion spinosum) and no other Rhampholeon species are CITES listed, there appears to have been a misconception that their CITES listing dropped when this species was reclassified as a Rhampholeon. Over the last few years I've seen a number of shipments of "assorted pygmy chameleons" (i.e. Rhampholeon sp.) come in that have included Rh. spinosus of varying quantities (I've also seen Kinyongia tenuis in these shipments). Unlike the modest legal quota of captive bred specimens exported every year by Joe Beraducci, which tend to do well in captivity, these specimens have been clearly wild caught, not treated well during the import/export process and not faired well in captivity. My opinion is that if their export in "assorted pygmy chameleon" shipments continues, it could have a significant negative impact on their wild populations.
Last year the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) established a Chameleon Specialist Group (CSG) in an effort to bring together experts on all chameleon species aiming to promote conservation efforts and sustainable use. One of the initiatives the CSG has been working on is updating the assessments of chameleon species for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This initiative should help us understand how many species are of concern and which species are of the most severe concern. Until we have this information, its very hard to make predictions about how many chameleon species will still be around in 50 to 100 years.
The pet industry definitely has an impact on many wild chameleon populations. Some species are more highly impacted than others, and the updated IUCN Red List assessments will help paint a better picture of this. In my opinion, some of the annual export quotas of wild caught chameleons are excessive and I don’t expect them to be maintained in the long term. The quotas of some other species are much more reasonable and if additional illegal collection is avoided, these quotas should be much more sustainable.
An example where I feel the pet trade may definitely have a negative impact on a species’ survival is Rhampholeon spinosus, a species classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Because Rhampholeon spinosus was originally CITES listed under its previous classification in the genus Bradypodion (Bradypodion spinosum) and no other Rhampholeon species are CITES listed, there appears to have been a misconception that their CITES listing dropped when this species was reclassified as a Rhampholeon. Over the last few years I've seen a number of shipments of "assorted pygmy chameleons" (i.e. Rhampholeon sp.) come in that have included Rh. spinosus of varying quantities (I've also seen Kinyongia tenuis in these shipments). Unlike the modest legal quota of captive bred specimens exported every year by Joe Beraducci, which tend to do well in captivity, these specimens have been clearly wild caught, not treated well during the import/export process and not faired well in captivity. My opinion is that if their export in "assorted pygmy chameleon" shipments continues, it could have a significant negative impact on their wild populations.
What can keepers and enthusiasts do to best promote conservation efforts?
One of the first things keepers and enthusiasts should do to help protect chameleons in the wild is take steps to reduce the consumption of wild caught chameleons by the pet trade. The only way to reduce our impact on wild populations, without banning the import/export of chameleons, is to reduce demand for wild caught animals.
The first step is improving the survival rates of those chameleons that are imported. This can be accomplished by continuing to discourage unexperienced keepers or those just looking for a pet, from purchasing wild caught specimens. This results in a higher percentage of wild caught chameleons being purchased by more experienced keepers and breeders with the intention of establishing captive breeding groups.
The next step is to increase efforts to establish viable breeding groups of different species. Because wild caught specimens are so readily available, the value of many chameleon species is kept at a low level. The unfortunate result is that there is little-to-no money to be made breeding many of these species so few are willing to put in the effort to do so. While many people breed as a business or try to optimize their hobby so that it helps pay for itself, efforts need to be made to produce these species despite their relatively low value. Doing so should provide an alternative to wild caught specimens which should help reduce our demand for wild caught animals.
If efforts to establish breeding groups are not made and export ends, we may lose these species from captive populations all together. This is part of what happened to many of the Malagasy chameleon species when their export was banned in 1995 and they quickly disappeared from captivity. Therefore, in addition to the benefit to wild populations, establishing breeding populations can benefit hobbyists in the long run.
The first step is improving the survival rates of those chameleons that are imported. This can be accomplished by continuing to discourage unexperienced keepers or those just looking for a pet, from purchasing wild caught specimens. This results in a higher percentage of wild caught chameleons being purchased by more experienced keepers and breeders with the intention of establishing captive breeding groups.
The next step is to increase efforts to establish viable breeding groups of different species. Because wild caught specimens are so readily available, the value of many chameleon species is kept at a low level. The unfortunate result is that there is little-to-no money to be made breeding many of these species so few are willing to put in the effort to do so. While many people breed as a business or try to optimize their hobby so that it helps pay for itself, efforts need to be made to produce these species despite their relatively low value. Doing so should provide an alternative to wild caught specimens which should help reduce our demand for wild caught animals.
If efforts to establish breeding groups are not made and export ends, we may lose these species from captive populations all together. This is part of what happened to many of the Malagasy chameleon species when their export was banned in 1995 and they quickly disappeared from captivity. Therefore, in addition to the benefit to wild populations, establishing breeding populations can benefit hobbyists in the long run.
Here is a question related to taxonomy and speciation. What is the difference between a locale and a subspecies? For example, why are the various Furcifer pardalis locales not classified as subspecies?
When I first started answering this question, the response I came up with quickly became bogged down in a lot of technical terminology and it became complicated enough that I didn’t think most would benefit from it. So, I put together an explanation that I hope will be more useful to everyone but decided to include my initial response in case anyone was interested in more specifics.
The definition of a species remains one of the most controversial and debated topics amongst biologists and is often referred to as the species problem. The naming and classifying of species is simply a way of keeping track of biodiversity and typically is a prediction of independent groups of organisms from within a single evolutionary lineage.
Because different lineages can evolve at different rates, different species are not equal in their diversity, variation, etc. When a species has subgroups within the species, questions about how to recognize and divide these forms arise. In many cases such species are split into different species with narrow distribution and complex intergrade zones. In other cases such species are divided into subspecies, other evolutionarily distinct subgroups or populations (i.e. locales) that exhibit differing characteristics.
Ultimately, however, the choice of how to recognize these subgroups is based on the philosophy of the researcher who happens to be studying them. Depending on which species concept they utilize, they will have different criteria for recognizing a species and identifying species boarders, which will trickle down to defining subgroups. Additionally, different researchers have different goals for their species-level systematics. Some are trying to name major groups, while others are trying to name every possible segment along each lineage (lumpers vs. splitters). In any event, these subgroups are evolutionary steps toward species formation.
More technical response:
In order to do this question any justice, I really have to go back to the classic “what is a species?” question first. The reality is that the definition of a species remains one of the most controversial and debated topics amongst biologists and is often referred to as the species problem. The naming and classifying of species is simply a way of keeping track of biodiversity but before we can get more specific than a species, we have to know what we are subdividing in the first place.
Ignoring the criteria in different species concepts used to recognize species and identify species boarders, a species is ultimately a temporal stage or segment from an ever evolving lineage within a broader phylogeny/family tree. When looking at just a snap shot of an evolving lineage, you fail to see the intergrading history between the varying points along differing evolutionary trajectories that have gone extinct and only see the independent taxa currently existing. Named species are hypotheses, or predictions, of independent groups of organisms and need be nothing more than a group of independently evolving metapopulations within a single phylogenetic lineage.
Because different lineages can evolve at different rates, different species are not equal in their diversity, variation, etc. When independent groups of organisms are polytypic (have subgroups within the group), questions about how to recognize and divide these forms arise. In many cases polytypic species are split into different named species with narrow distribution and complex intergrade zones. In other cases these polytypic species are divided into subspecies, other evolutionarily distinct subgroups or populations (i.e. locales) that exhibit differing characteristics.. Ultimately this is dependent on the criteria from different species concepts used to recognize species and identify species boarders and what the goal of a given researcher’s species-level systematics is (i.e., are they trying to name every possible segment of each lineage or not).
Its important to note, however, that within polytypic species, the presence of intergrade zones is indicative of evolutionary diversification. These intergrade zones are the intergrading histories between varying points along differing evolutionary trajectories I spoke of earlier. This diversification is a stage of species formation and as these intermediaries go extinct, more distinct independent groups of organisms develop.
In the case of Furcifer pardalis, the locales we know are different metapopulations within a single phylogenetic lineage. These individual populations appear to be in the process of diversification and producing a polytypic species. The question of when this diversification transitions from locales to subspecies, however, simply depends on the criteria used to identify species boarders and the ultimate goal of the species-level systematics for the researcher who is working on the species.
The definition of a species remains one of the most controversial and debated topics amongst biologists and is often referred to as the species problem. The naming and classifying of species is simply a way of keeping track of biodiversity and typically is a prediction of independent groups of organisms from within a single evolutionary lineage.
Because different lineages can evolve at different rates, different species are not equal in their diversity, variation, etc. When a species has subgroups within the species, questions about how to recognize and divide these forms arise. In many cases such species are split into different species with narrow distribution and complex intergrade zones. In other cases such species are divided into subspecies, other evolutionarily distinct subgroups or populations (i.e. locales) that exhibit differing characteristics.
Ultimately, however, the choice of how to recognize these subgroups is based on the philosophy of the researcher who happens to be studying them. Depending on which species concept they utilize, they will have different criteria for recognizing a species and identifying species boarders, which will trickle down to defining subgroups. Additionally, different researchers have different goals for their species-level systematics. Some are trying to name major groups, while others are trying to name every possible segment along each lineage (lumpers vs. splitters). In any event, these subgroups are evolutionary steps toward species formation.
More technical response:
In order to do this question any justice, I really have to go back to the classic “what is a species?” question first. The reality is that the definition of a species remains one of the most controversial and debated topics amongst biologists and is often referred to as the species problem. The naming and classifying of species is simply a way of keeping track of biodiversity but before we can get more specific than a species, we have to know what we are subdividing in the first place.
Ignoring the criteria in different species concepts used to recognize species and identify species boarders, a species is ultimately a temporal stage or segment from an ever evolving lineage within a broader phylogeny/family tree. When looking at just a snap shot of an evolving lineage, you fail to see the intergrading history between the varying points along differing evolutionary trajectories that have gone extinct and only see the independent taxa currently existing. Named species are hypotheses, or predictions, of independent groups of organisms and need be nothing more than a group of independently evolving metapopulations within a single phylogenetic lineage.
Because different lineages can evolve at different rates, different species are not equal in their diversity, variation, etc. When independent groups of organisms are polytypic (have subgroups within the group), questions about how to recognize and divide these forms arise. In many cases polytypic species are split into different named species with narrow distribution and complex intergrade zones. In other cases these polytypic species are divided into subspecies, other evolutionarily distinct subgroups or populations (i.e. locales) that exhibit differing characteristics.. Ultimately this is dependent on the criteria from different species concepts used to recognize species and identify species boarders and what the goal of a given researcher’s species-level systematics is (i.e., are they trying to name every possible segment of each lineage or not).
Its important to note, however, that within polytypic species, the presence of intergrade zones is indicative of evolutionary diversification. These intergrade zones are the intergrading histories between varying points along differing evolutionary trajectories I spoke of earlier. This diversification is a stage of species formation and as these intermediaries go extinct, more distinct independent groups of organisms develop.
In the case of Furcifer pardalis, the locales we know are different metapopulations within a single phylogenetic lineage. These individual populations appear to be in the process of diversification and producing a polytypic species. The question of when this diversification transitions from locales to subspecies, however, simply depends on the criteria used to identify species boarders and the ultimate goal of the species-level systematics for the researcher who is working on the species.
You have various experience with a large number of chameleon species. Which are your favorites and why?
This is a very difficult question because I consider quite a few different species to be favorites for different reasons. While I’ve worked with over 60 different species and subspecies, a few do stick out in my mind as favorites, along with a few I’ve actually never worked with.
Two of the most beautiful species, in my opinion, are Bradypodion damaranum and Furcifer minor. Neither are common in captive collections, both being protected from export from their countries of origin, but I was fortunate to work with F. minor in captivity while I lived in the Czech Republic and then see them in the wild while I was in Madagascar. While many chameleons are beautiful, I find male B. damaranum and female F. minor in full display to be just stunning!
Two of the most bizarre species, at least as far as their morphology is concerned, are Brookesia perarmata and Trioceros laterispinis. I’ve worked with both these species in the past and was blown away by how interesting they both were. Brookesia perarmata are now listed on CITES Appendix I and very few are left in captivity, while Trioceros laterispinis are only exported from Tanzania in extremely low numbers as captive bred individuals. Their rosettes and spines all over the bodies are truly bizarre and I find them incredibly interesting.
Three of my favorite species that I’ve worked with in captivity are Calumma parsonii, Rhampholeon spinosus and Trioceros hoehnelii. Calumma parsonii truly are special animals and very different than other chameleons in captivity. They are much larger bodied than other species, have incredible soft skin, are very deliberate in their movements and are just majestic. Rhampholeon spinosus are one of the most cryptic species I’ve ever worked with. Of all the species I’ve worked with, they have a way of disappearing that few others are capable of. Combined with their brilliant colors, patterns and protuberances all over their body, and they are definitely one of the most interesting species I’ve worked with. Finally, Trioceros hoehnelii have always been a favorite of mine. I’ve worked with this species for almost 12 years now and have always considered them a favorite. They are a beautiful species with nice enlarged scales that resemble armor, large helmet shaped casque, small horn nub, and enlarged beard-like gular crest. Their behavior, similar to a little tank or bulldog, however, is something I’ve always loved.
Two of the most beautiful species, in my opinion, are Bradypodion damaranum and Furcifer minor. Neither are common in captive collections, both being protected from export from their countries of origin, but I was fortunate to work with F. minor in captivity while I lived in the Czech Republic and then see them in the wild while I was in Madagascar. While many chameleons are beautiful, I find male B. damaranum and female F. minor in full display to be just stunning!
Two of the most bizarre species, at least as far as their morphology is concerned, are Brookesia perarmata and Trioceros laterispinis. I’ve worked with both these species in the past and was blown away by how interesting they both were. Brookesia perarmata are now listed on CITES Appendix I and very few are left in captivity, while Trioceros laterispinis are only exported from Tanzania in extremely low numbers as captive bred individuals. Their rosettes and spines all over the bodies are truly bizarre and I find them incredibly interesting.
Three of my favorite species that I’ve worked with in captivity are Calumma parsonii, Rhampholeon spinosus and Trioceros hoehnelii. Calumma parsonii truly are special animals and very different than other chameleons in captivity. They are much larger bodied than other species, have incredible soft skin, are very deliberate in their movements and are just majestic. Rhampholeon spinosus are one of the most cryptic species I’ve ever worked with. Of all the species I’ve worked with, they have a way of disappearing that few others are capable of. Combined with their brilliant colors, patterns and protuberances all over their body, and they are definitely one of the most interesting species I’ve worked with. Finally, Trioceros hoehnelii have always been a favorite of mine. I’ve worked with this species for almost 12 years now and have always considered them a favorite. They are a beautiful species with nice enlarged scales that resemble armor, large helmet shaped casque, small horn nub, and enlarged beard-like gular crest. Their behavior, similar to a little tank or bulldog, however, is something I’ve always loved.
Last edited:
