Two adult veiled chameleons, a male and a female, were turned in on March 27 to the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Forestry and Wildlife by a Makawao resident. On the same day, a Wailuku resident turned in a poison dart frog, the first such animal to be actually found on Maui after several years of reported sightings.

The chameleons are not native to the islands, have no natural predators here and because of their large size and ability to tolerate living in regions from low, dry to very wet mountain areas, could potentially prey upon native birds and native insects in many of Hawai'i forests.

Veiled chameleons can grow up to about 18 to 24 inches long. State law prohibits importing or transporting within the state chameleons, lizards or snakes. Last week, a dead veiled chameleon found in a rural area of west Maui was turned in to DLNR.

The poison dart frog is the first to be established on another island besides O'ahu. It has been established on O'ahu since 1932 when it was released to control mosquitoes. Adults may reach 2 inches in length. They come out during the daytime, and are found mainly in Manoa and a few windward valleys. Due to their limited range, they are not considered a threat a present to native wildlife on O'ahu.