Maui chameleons multiplying
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
MAKAWAO, Maui — Wildlife officials have found more than 100 veiled chameleons on Maui since they were discovered there two years ago, confirming fears that a breeding population has been established.
Advertiser library photo • 2002
State wildlife biologist Fern Duvall said it is disappointing that the lizards continue to be found despite repeated search-and-removal efforts near a Makawao neighborhood.
Wildlife officials say that veiled chameleons have established a breeding population on Maui. Officials are expanding their search-and-removal efforts.
"For the amount of energy we've put into this, there has been no diminishment of the population," Duvall said Friday.
That could be bad news for Maui's environment, especially if the tree-residing, bird-eating chameleons make their way into the native forest.
Duvall said the veiled chameleon can be compared biologically to the brown tree snakes that have almost wiped out bird species on Guam.
He said the Maui Invasive Species Committee is expanding its search.
If you see a veiled chameleon on Maui, officials say capture it, then call (808) 573-6472.
The first discovery of a veiled chameleon on Maui occurred when a dead one was found near Ka'anapali in March 2002, followed by two live chameleons turned in the next month and another dead chameleon found in Makawao in November of that year.
Chameleon sightings
Searches since then have yielded an increasing number of chameleons, although the population is believed to be in an area only about an acre in size. Duvall said there's a fear that someone might move them to another location.
The colorful veiled chameleons are popular in the pet trade but are illegal to import, possess or transport in Hawai'i.
Domingo Cravalho, specialist with the state Department of Agriculture, said he believes the Makawao chameleons were released into the wild with the intent of establishing a breeding colony for the pet industry. He said that with help from residents, he's keeping an eye on the area.
Native to Yemen and Saudi Arabia, the chameleons have no natural predators in Hawai'i. Their large size, about 18 to 24 inches long as adults, and ability to adapt to a variety of elevations and temperatures could help them proliferate and prey on native birds and insects.
Russell Suzuki of the Maui Invasive Species Committee said the veiled chameleons are difficult to spot in the wild. He said the searches are conducted at night with flashlights, because that's when the chameleons sleep in lower branches and their lighter shade is generally easier to see against a darker background.
"You've got to acquire an eye for it," Suzuki said. "You can look at one plant, not see it and then the guy right behind you will find it, and you wonder how you missed it."
Veiled chameleons look a little like Jackson's chameleons — which also started as illegal imports and are now common on Maui — but, instead of horns, both sexes have a large casque, a bony shield on their head that resembles a shark fin. Colors are variable and can change, but they usually have obvious transverse stripes.
Contact Timothy Hurley at thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.
