06/11/2020
An extinct chameleon discovered in Madagascar
The considered extinct Madagascar chameleon from the list of 25 most wanted species was rediscovered 100 years later. Moreover, scientists found rare animals under their noses, as they say.
German herpetologists (zoologists who study amphibians and reptiles) have discovered Furcifer voeltzkowi, a chameleon in Madagascar, which has not been found since 1913 and was considered extinct. It is curious that scientists found this species not in deep and remote forests, but in the hotel garden, writes Salamandra.
The chameleon species Furcifer voeltzkowi was first described in 1893. Scientists feared that he was gone. Conservation organization Global Wildlife Conservation has even included this chameleon in its 25 Most Wanted Species.
A team of herpetologists from the Zoological State Collection Munich decided to clarify the fate of Furcifer voeltzkowi. Experts traveled to the province of Mahajanga in northwestern Madagascar, where these animals were first discovered.
Scientists found the species considered extinct not in the forests, but in the hotel garden in the village of Katsepi. They found three males and 15 females.
Herpetologists also first described the female Furcifer voeltzkowi. Ladies are smaller than males and change colors more actively.
Experts also hypothesized why chameleons were not seen by people. They believe that Furcifer voeltzkowi hatch from eggs with the arrival of the rainy season (October-November), grow rapidly and begin to reproduce. By the beginning of the dry season, all adult chameleons have died, leaving behind a clutch of eggs. As a result, animals can be seen only for several months of the year, when most of the roads to their habitats are washed out by heavy rains.
