Why do male Parsons look so much like male Fischers?

[Psychobunny]

"Hahaha don't they live on like opposite sides of the world?"


Which only ADDS to their confusion!!

 

[Garrett]

parallel evolution: the development of a similar trait in related, but distinct, species descending from the same ancestor, but from different clades.

 

[Solid Snake]

parallel evolution: the development of a similar trait in related, but distinct, species descending from the same ancestor, but from different clades.

 

[Olimpia]

What you're probably looking at is a homologous trait, one shared and passed on by common ancestors.

And the two species are not half a world apart! Madagascar and Eastern Africa are only a stone's throw away, as it were.

 

[Carlton]

What you're probably looking at is a homologous trait, one shared and passed on by common ancestors.

And the two species are not half a world apart! Madagascar and Eastern Africa are only a stone's throw away, as it were.

Right...and, there are several other species that have similar rostrals on BOTH sides of the Mozambique Channel. Evolving species started to express this common trait in different ways over time. Let's see...off the top of my head there's F. willsii and bifidus. B. fischeri's rostrals don't look like C. parsoni parsoni really. Theirs includes more of a shovel-like flattened base that fischeri doesn't. Even old panthers with heavy rostrals give the impression of parsoni sometimes.

 

[SaintJimmy]

I like the similarity but I understand some guy might go to buy a fischers and then NOT know much about chams and accidentally buy a parsons and give it the wrong care!

The rostral is pretty and all but it could get confusing. But then again the prevalent yellow eyes in parsons males (some of them).

I didn't know they lived so closely.

What exactly are the horns for?

 

[Carlton]

I like the similarity but I understand some guy might go to buy a fischers and then NOT know much about chams and accidentally buy a parsons and give it the wrong care!

The rostral is pretty and all but it could get confusing. But then again the prevalent yellow eyes in parsons males (some of them).

I didn't know they lived so closely.

What exactly are the horns for?

NOT very likely!!! A fischeri might cost $100 but a parsoni may cost over $1400! A fischeri is a lot smaller than a parsoni and a juvenile would be a completely different color. B. fischeri have very smooth suede-like skin while parsoni tends to have more texture in it. The alarm/stress patterns are very different. Their head shape is different even in babies, their temperment is different, they are just very different.

Horns may be used in territorial shoving matches, used to identify gender and species to other chams, and to display maturity or fitness.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

They actually when you are up close to them are not similar at all other than the couple previously mentioned similarities between Kinyongia matchiei and Calumma parsonii cristifer. The scales on a Parsonii are much softer than any other chameleon I have ever kept and much softer than any Kinyongia that was included considered in the fischeri group of chameleons. The overall head and legs seem much bigger too on Parsonii compared to body size than any Fishers chameleons. There are more taxonomical differences too.

 

[Solid Snake]

Hey Saintjimmy, Ive got this excellent "parsonii" for sale, dirt cheap

 

[Sticktongue]

Hey Saintjimmy, Ive got this excellent "parsonii" for sale, dirt cheap

me too. 500 each. That's less than half price!


Joking aside, look at other types of animals. They have similarities with their cousins

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

me too. 500 each. That's less than half price!


Joking aside, look at other types of animals. They have similarities with their cousins

Your a bit premature and I do not think you know what's going on nobody sold anyone a Parsonii for $500.00. Especially a Calumma parsonii cristifer .

 

[SaintJimmy]

NOT very likely!!! A fischeri might cost $100 but a parsoni may cost over $1400! A fischeri is a lot smaller than a parsoni and a juvenile would be a completely different color. B. fischeri have very smooth suede-like skin while parsoni tends to have more texture in it. The alarm/stress patterns are very different. Their head shape is different even in babies, their temperment is different, they are just very different.

Horns may be used in territorial shoving matches, used to identify gender and species to other chams, and to display maturity or fitness.

I am talking about a dumb breeder not knowing the difference between the two animals.

Let's say some guy who wants to make quick $$ gets a fischers, has never cared for one before. "Hey this looks like a parsons"

Sells it on classifieds to someone who ALSO doesnt know what it is. Gets a "parsons" dirt cheap and then kills the poor fischers.

Could happen

 

[Solid Snake]

I am talking about a dumb breeder not knowing the difference between the two animals.

Let's say some guy who wants to make quick $$ gets a fischers, has never cared for one before. "Hey this looks like a parsons"

Sells it on classifieds to someone who ALSO doesnt know what it is. Gets a "parsons" dirt cheap and then kills the poor fischers.

Could happen

Ok, lets say its possible, not probable but possible.

Whats your point?

That we need special guidelines for selling species that look somewhat similar?

 

[deadhd5]

I am talking about a dumb breeder not knowing the difference between the two animals.

Let's say some guy who wants to make quick $$ gets a fischers, has never cared for one before. "Hey this looks like a parsons"

Sells it on classifieds to someone who ALSO doesnt know what it is. Gets a "parsons" dirt cheap and then kills the poor fischers.

Could happen

Hopefully these two theorhetical people don't theorhetically fall in love and produce a theorhetical child. Because that child would be, theorhetically, an idiot

 

[Olimpia]

But they DON'T look that much alike. Look up photos of both as full-body shots, the differences are many and huge. You literally couldn't even be blind and confuse the two species, due to the difference in size, skin texture, and physical build. I'll be the first to admit that a couple species look practically identical to me, but these two are not one of those.

Also, I think that if Chris Anderson has seen this thread he is at his desk, weeping quietly.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

I am talking about a dumb breeder not knowing the difference between the two animals.

Let's say some guy who wants to make quick $$ gets a fischers, has never cared for one before. "Hey this looks like a parsons"

Sells it on classifieds to someone who ALSO doesnt know what it is. Gets a "parsons" dirt cheap and then kills the poor fischers.

Could happen

I'm going to stop you there if any breeder is experienced enough to breed chameleons they most probably are going to be capable of IDing the difference between Fischers and Parsons chameleons. You are presenting an extremely unlikely situation.

 

[SSimsswiSS]

I'm going to stop you there if any breeder is experienced enough to breed chameleons they most probably are going to be capable of IDing the difference between Fischers and Parsons chameleons. You are presenting an extremely unlikely situation.

I've been on forums long enough to see the so called "expert chameleon breeders" come and go.

 

[Action Jackson]

Hopefully these two theorhetical people don't theorhetically fall in love and produce a theorhetical child. Because that child would be, theorhetically, an idiot

Oops, too late.

 

[Solid Snake]

Oops, too late.

Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

I've been on forums long enough to see the so called "expert chameleon breeders" come and go.

Are you saying when you hatch out your Kinyongia and Calumma parsonii you sometime become confused and sell Kinyongia matchiei at Calumma parsonii prices and Calumma parsonii at Kinyongia matchiei prices?