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Name : Voeltzkow’s chameleon or Furcifer voeltzkowi is a kind of chameleon described by Oskar Boettger in 1893 . It was named after the man who discovered it, Alfred Voeltzkow.
Habitat : It’s a species endemic to Madagascar.
Size : It measures about twenty centimeters.
Way of life : Voeltzkow’s chameleons have a life cycle that lasts one year, during which they are born, reach their sexual maturity within two months, breed, lay eggs and then die a few months later . They spend most of their time as an egg and are present in their adult form only during the rainy season.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THIS ANIMAL TO USE WHILE FLIRTING …OR NOT
Voeltzkow’s chameleons are relatively unknown, and for a reason ! After being discovered by the biologist and botanist Alfred Voeltzkow, who had only found males in 1893, the species wasn’t seen for 125 years and was considered an extinct one until it was rediscovered in 2018 !
When they are pregnant, stressed or encountering males, Voeltkow’s chameleon females « go red » they swoon with shiny colors – purple, orange, red, green, black and white – with striking patterns.
Its long disappearance is probably due to its short lifespan. This kind was extrapolated from its close relative, Furcifer labordi.
Easy come, easy go ! Voeltzkow’s chameleon may be endangered because its habitat is under threat from deforestation.
Written by Maël GUEGAN
Translated by Rim KAIS
Sources :
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Furcifer&species=voeltzkowi
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/30/voeltzkow-chameleon-rediscovered-madagascar
- https://www.globalwildlife.org/press/found-rediscovery-of-lost-chameleon-reveals-reptiles-spectacular-true-colors/
- Image reference : https://www.globalwildlife.org/press/found-rediscovery-of-lost-chameleon-reveals-reptiles-spectacular-true-colors/