Elusive chameleon spotted after century of hiding from researchers

Spotted at last: The Voeltzkow's chameleon has avoided detection for over a century. Photo / Pierre Bamin, Unsplash

Chameleons are famously elusive, but this species of colour-shifting lizard is the champion of camouflage. It has evaded researchers for over 100 years.

The Voeltzkow's chameleon was last seen in Madagascar in 1893. However, researchers from the island and Germany's Bavarian Natural History Collections ZSM claim to have rediscovered the lizards in the northwest of the country.

A report published by a German natural science journal claims they were found "During a targeted expedition" into the lizard's natural habitat.

Sharing a video recording of both male and female chameleons, it's easy to see why the animals were so hard to spot. The female lizard is able to change its colour from pale green to luminous blue. The male chameleon, on the other hand, is able to distort and warp its body in alarming ways, as its eyes dart and swivel independent of one another.

The extreme 'sexual dimorphism' is another thing which makes it hard to identify the species. The male and female lizards look nothing alike.

Added to their gifts for disguise, the creatures have a very short lifespan. Appearing only a few months during the rainy season, researchers were lucky to spot them.

"The assumed short life might also partly explain why this splendid species got 'lost' for many decades, since most roads in its habitat are not accessible in the wet season," concluded the report.

With habitats along the coast between Katsepy and Soalala, the creation of a new conservation area in the region will hopefully give future studies a better chance of spotting the elusive creatures.

The rediscovery of the chameleon has given researchers hope for what they see as the just the beginning of a long conservation battle with the effects of climate change.

"Rediscoveries of 'lost' species are very important as they provide crucial data for conservation measures and also bring some hope amidst the biodiversity crisis," said researchers Dr. Frank Glaw, Dr. David Prötze.