Posted on: Saturday, November 23, 2002
Maui nabs 4th invading lizard
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| The veiled chameleon found on Maui was in the same neighborhood as this male and female found in March.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser |
MAKAWAO, Maui — The discovery of a fourth veiled chameleon on Maui this year is renewing fears that the alien species is established here.
The creature, a native to Yemen and Saudi Arabia, was found last week on Mokuahi Street in Makawao and was turned in to the Maui Invasive Species Committee.
In March, another resident in the neighborhood turned in two veiled chameleons after finding them in his yard. Earlier that month, a veiled chameleon was found in an agricultural field above Ka'anapali.
The chameleons, which have a 3-inch shield, resembling a shark fin, on their heads, have no natural predators here. Biologists say their large size and ability to tolerate a variety of elevations and temperatures could help them proliferate here and prey upon native birds and insects.
The Maui Invasive Species Committee plans to distribute posters in Makawao to increase public awareness of veiled chameleons. A field crew will also be combing the Mokuahi Street area and going door-to-door to talk about the problem.
To report a veiled chameleon or other invasive species, call the state Department of Land and Natural Resources at (808) 984-8100 or the Maui Invasive Species Committee at (808) 579-2116. The color of these otherworldly chameleons can vary and can change from white to black, gray, brown, green, blue, orange, red and yellow, but they usually have stripes. They can grow to 18 to 24 inches long, about twice the size of the Jackson's chameleon.
State law prohibits importing chameleons, lizards or snakes or transporting them within the state. Anyone possessing illegal animals, such as reptiles and snakes, is subject to penalties that include fines of up to $200,000 and up to three years in jail.
Illegal pets can be turned in under the state Department of Agriculture's amnesty program, which provides immunity from prosecution.
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