Chameleons get brighter when they don't have to deal with predators

By Ellen Phiddian
Updated May 13 2022 - 9:29am, first published 8:00am
A male Jackson's chameleon from Kenya. This male is using its display colour, signalling its dominance to rival males or quality to a female. Picture: Martin J. Whiting.
A male Jackson's chameleon from Kenya. This male is using its display colour, signalling its dominance to rival males or quality to a female. Picture: Martin J. Whiting.

In 1972, a pet shop owner on the island of Oahu, in Hawaii, ordered a few dozen Jackson's chameleons from Kenya to sell. When the lizards arrived, rattled by their long journey, the shop owner left them in his backyard to recover - allowing them to escape, and thus inadvertently causing the colonisation of Oahu by invasive chameleons.

Get the latest Katoomba news in your inbox

Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.