Sex chromosomes in chameleons

Sex chromosomes in chameleons

by Alex Laube Science

Which sex chromosomes are present in chameleons has so far been studied rather sparsely. The Madagascan chameleon genus Furcifer is known to have Z and W chromosomes, although sometimes several Z chromosomes occur, so-called neo-sex chromosomes. Recently in the Czech Republic, scientists examined this deeper.

Blood and tissue samples were taken from 13 chameleons to isolate DNA. The animals sampled included one male and one female each of the species Brookesia therezieni, Calumma glawi, Calumma parsonii, Chamaeleo calyptratus, Furcifer campani, Furcifer labordi, Furcifer lateralis, Furcifer oustaleti, Furcifer pardalis, Furcifer rhinoceratus, Furcifer viridis, Kinyongia boehmei and Trioceros johnstoni. Only in Furcifer oustaleti were two females sampled. Subsequently, the Z1 chromosomes of the panther chameleons and the Z and W chromosomes were analysed by microdissection. Gene coverage analyses were performed for carpet and panther chameleons. In addition, qPCRs were performed to compare the homology of the Z chromosomes.

The results show that the morphology of the Z1 chromosomes of panther chameleons corresponds to the Z chromosome of the entire genus Furcifer. The Z1 chromosome of panther chameleons thus corresponds to the Z chromosome of Furcifer oustaleti. The Z2 chromosome of panther chameleons, on the other hand, is a neo-sex chromosome. Both the Z and W chromosomes in Furcifer oustaleti are probably pseudautosomal. 42 genes have been described as specific for the W chromosome.

A total of 16,947 genes were identified in Furcifer lateralis and 16,909 genes in Furcifer pardalis. The ratio of the number of genes between females and males is 0.35 and 0.65 for the two species. In panther and carpet chameleons, most of the genes on the W and Z chromosomes were found to be the same, with relatively few genes found only on the W chromosome. This finding is surprising, as the researchers had actually expected that the heterochromatic W in Furcifer species would have lost most of its genes compared to the Z chromosome.

The sex chromosomes of the genus Furcifer probably evolved at least 20 million years ago, which roughly corresponds to the time when the species Furcifer campani split off from the other Furcifer species.

Heteromorphic ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes sharing gene content with mammalian XX/XY are conserved in Madagascan chameleons of the genus Furcifer
Michail Rovatsos, Sofia Mazzoleni, Barbora Augstenová, Marie Altmanová, Petr Velenský, Frank Glaw, Antonio Sanchez, Lukáš Kratochvíl
Scientific Reports 14, 2024: 4898.
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55431-9

New case reports on hemipenes amputation

New case reports on hemipenes amputation

by Alex Laube Tiermedizin

The University of Sofia (Bulgaria) has published a new paper with several case reports involving chameleons. The authors describe 16 cases of different lizards that suffered a hemipenis prolapse and their treatment.

The lizards included a panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) and two Veiled Chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus). All three patients were presented to the veterinarians with bilateral hemipenes prolapse. Initially, the prolapses were bathed in 20% dextrose solution, after which the hemipenes were manually repositioned. However, the prolapses then recurred, so surgery was the final solution. Under general and local anaesthesia administered intramuscularly, the hemipenes were removed, the wound sutured and the remaining small stump repositioned in the respective hemipenes pocket. Meloxicam was administered as an analgesic once a day for 5 days after the operation. Only lizards in which the surgical field appeared to be dying off during the follow-up examinations were given antibiotics for 10 days.

Hemipenectomy in leopard geckos, chameleons and bearded dragons
Seven Mustafa & Iliana Ruzhanova-Gospodinova
Tradition and Modernity in Veterinary Medicine, 2024
DOI: nicht vorhanden

Photo: Panther chameleon, photographed by Alex Laube in Madagascar

Chameleons in Bobaomby (Madagascar)

Chameleons in Bobaomby (Madagascar)

by Alex Laube Verbreitung Science

The Bobaomby complex is located at the northernmost tip of Madagascar, north and west of the largest coastal town in the north, Antsiranana (Diego Suarez in French). It consists of dry forest at sea level up to a maximum of 200 metres above sea level as well as extensive savannahs on karst rock and various rock formations. The area has not been protected to date.

Scientists from Madagascar conducted reptile counts in the Bobaomby complex in 2018. The counts were carried out in February and March, i.e. during the rainy season. Five different locations were analysed: Beantely, Antsisikala and Ambanililabe as examples of varying degrees of degraded dry forest, Anjiabe for its intact dry forest and Ampombofofo with relatively intact forest. To find animals, the visual survey was used on 25 days during the day and at night in selected transects, sometimes specifically in suitable habitats such as leaf axils or under dead tree trunks, and pitfall traps along erected fences were also used.

A total of 42 reptile species have been recorded. All of them, except one gecko species, originally only occur on Madagascar, while two other gecko species are now also found on neighbouring islands. There is a small novelty among the chameleons: the leaf chameleon Brookesia ebenaui was recorded for the first time in Bobaomby, more precisely in Beantely. Brookesia stumpffi and Furcifer petteri were found in Beantely, Anjiabe and Ampombofofo. Furcifer pardalis and Furcifer oustaleti occurred as expected throughout the whole Bobaomby complex.

The authors suggest that the Bobaomby complex – especially the three forests where most of the reptiles were found – should be protected to preserve the local herpetofauna.

Overview of reptile diversity from Bobaomby complex, northern tip of Madagascar
Randriamialisoa, Raphali R. Andriantsimanarilafy, Alain J. Rakotondrina, Josué A. Rakotoarisoa, Nasaina T. Ranaivoson, Jeanneney Rabearivony, Achille P. Raselimanana
Animals 13: 3396, 2023
DOI:  10.3390/ani13213396

Photo: Furcifer petteri, male, in the north of Madagascar, photographed by Alex Laube

Panther chameleons looking for new homes

Panther chameleons looking for new homes

by Alex Laube Abzugeben General topics

A long-standing member of the AG Chameleons is looking for new owners for ten panther chameleons (Furcifer pardalis) at short notice. There are ten females, including animals between 10 months and three years old. Four females belong to the local form Ambilobe, five to the local form Sambava. The animals are available individually or in groups free of charge. If you are interested, please write to us at info@agchamaeleons.de for further information.

Concerning Florida’s introduced panther chameleons

Concerning Florida’s introduced panther chameleons

by Alex Laube Verbreitung Science

The “Sunshine State” Florida in the USA has the largest number of non-native species of reptiles in the world because of its warm climate. The panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) is one of the invasive species, i.e. those that do not actually belong in Florida but are now reproducing there. A study has now investigated the question of what the human inhabitants of Florida actually think of the chameleons.

It has been discussed for a long time whether panther chameleons belong to the species that were deliberately released for the purpose of “ranching”, i.e. to collect the offspring of the released chameleons for sale. That private individuals collect panther chameleons is not in dispute. According to the authors, ranching populations in Florida are mostly kept secret. They became aware of a small population in Orange County via social media in 2019. They then searched for the animals at night with torches and actually found 26 panther chameleons during several walks. They encountered private individuals on several occasions who were also looking for chameleons.

In 2020, questionnaires were distributed in person and via flyers with QR codes to 248 households located within the presumed 0.9 km² distribution area of the panther chameleon population. They were asked about concerns regarding the occurrence of panther chameleons, but also about existing knowledge about invasive species in general. The residents were also divided into three areas: A core region where chameleons had been observed several times, a peripheral region with few findings, and an outer region where no chameleons had been sighted at all.

44 households answered the questionnaire.  In fact, all 11 interviewed residents in the outer region had not sighted any chameleons. Of the 33 residents interviewed in the core and peripheral region, about a third said they had already observed panther chameleons. The same number had seen the light of torches at night. 86% of the residents surveyed knew that panther chameleons are not actually native to Florida. Only a few residents said they were concerned about the occurrence. Seven residents had approached collectors with torches and said the collectors had all said they were looking for chameleons for research purposes. Only one of the collectors had said he/she was looking for animals to sell, according to the residents. One resident reported an altercation after strangers entered his property several times looking for chameleons. Another resident called the police because of a whole group of collectors on the neighbouring property.

Unfortunately, the questionnaire was given out after the search efforts of the authors themselves, so it is not apparent from the responses how many of the encounters were indeed with people looking for chameleons for sale purposes. The publication is also a preprint, so no review process has taken place yet.

Colorful lizards and the conflict of collection
Colin M. Goodman, Natalie M. Claunch, Zachary T. Steele, Diane J. Episcopio-Sturgeon, Christina M. Romagosa
Preprint, 2023
DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.10.552819

Picture: Alex Laube

Genome of the panther chameleon decoded

Genome of the panther chameleon decoded

by Alex Laube Science

In recent decades, genetic research has developed rapidly. Since 2009, the so-called high fidelity (HiFi) Pacbio sequencing method has been available for sequencing genomes. Nevertheless, relatively little is being done in the reptile field. There are only about a hundred so-called reference genomes for reptiles, and none at all for chameleons. Scientists from China have now published a reference genome for the panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis).

For the analysis, a 5-year-old male captive panther chameleon was killed using isoflurane and then dissected. Different tissues were frozen in liquid nitrogen. Skeletal muscle was used for short genome DNA sequencing and HI-C sequencing. Liver was used for HiFi sequencing. RNA from heart, liver, spleen, testis, lung, kidney, and skin were used for transcriptome sequencing.

The genome size of the panther chameleon from the K-mer analysis is 1.61 gigabase pairs (Gbp), containing only 22 so-called contigs, sets of overlapping DNA. The karyotype contains 11 chromosomes, each consisting of one to four contigs. Ten out of eleven chromosomes have repeat sequences (TAACCC). BUSCO analysis demonstrated a high completeness of the genome. The genome can be viewed in the NCBI BioProject under the number PRJNA974816 and in ScienceDataBank.

Efficient and highly continuous chromosome-level genome assembly of the first chameleon genome
Hongxin Xie, Zixuan Chen, Shuai Pang, Weiguo Du
Genome Biology and Evolution 131, 2023
DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad131

 

Picture: Alex Laube

Aggressive fungal pathogen discovered in panther chameleons

Aggressive fungal pathogen discovered in panther chameleons

by Alex Laube Tiermedizin Science

Fungi of the genera Nannizziopsis and Paranannizziopsis have long been known to cause severe skin diseases in various reptiles. These include species feared in herpetocolture such as CANV (Chrysosporium Anamorph of Nannizziopsis vriesii) and Nannizziopsis dermatitidis, which are apparently obligate pathogens. Now, a similar skin fungus has been detected in panther chameleons in Florida, USA.

Nine adult panther chameleons (Furcifer pardalis) were taken from a wild population in Florida. They were first housed in groups of two or three chameleons in screen cages with natural and artificial plants at a private keeper. A ReptiSun 5.0 lamp and a conventional light bulb were used. The animals were fed with crickets and zophobas every second day and supplemented with vitamins and calcium. All nine panther chameleons, plus a tenth that was captured later, were finally given to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a series of experiments. They were kept individually in steel aviaries outdoors.

Subsequently, the eight remaining panther chameleons were also examined. In fact, all but one of the chameleons were found to have either missing claws or swelling of the hands and feet, small skin wounds, circumferential proliferation on the body and/or yellow and black skin lesions. Fungal PCR was no longer carried out, but infection with the same pathogen was suspected. All nine panther chameleons still alive were treated with 25 mg/kg terbinafine and 5 mg/kg voriconazole, both given orally once daily.

After six weeks, the panther chameleons were examined again. The skin lesions were still present, in two animals the hand and foot swellings had decreased. After eleven to twelve weeks of treatment, all symptoms had disappeared in seven chameleons. The skin lesions had developed into scars. Only two chameleons still showed swelling in the foot area, but less than at the beginning of treatment. After 14 weeks of therapy, another panther chameleon died. The autopsy revealed kidney and organ damage as the cause of death. Since the contribution of the medication used to the death of the chameleon could not be ruled out, the therapy was terminated in week 15 for six of the eight panther chameleons. The two panther chameleons that still showed swelling of the feet were treated for another two weeks.

This case report is the first detection of Paranannizziopsis australasiensis in chameleons. So far, this fungal pathogen has only been found in green iguanas and Eastern bearded dragons in herpetoculture and in Tuataras, skinks, geckos, and snakes in nature. It remains unclear where the panther chameleons became infected. Three of the screen cages used in the initial private husbandry had previously been inhabited by Veiled Chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus) and Knight Anoles. The private keeper had disinfected the terrariums with chlorine bleach. The rest of his reptile population showed no skin lesions. The aviaries used later at the USDA had been empty for years and had previously only been inhabited by small birds. It is possible that the fungal pathogen had been introduced via potted plants from nurseries that regularly observe native reptiles on the premises. However, Paranannizziopsis australasiensis has not been found in any other wild reptile species in Florida to date.

The most likely scenario seems to be that the chameleons were already infected before they were caught in Florida, but the disease only broke out later. The original animals of the population could have been infected by bearded dragons in the pet trade a good decade ago. A latent infection with a late onset is supported by the fact that most of the skin lesions in this case report were found in winter, after temperatures had dropped below 10°C. Moreover, before the onset of symptoms, so-called “thermal limit trials” were carried out, in which the animals were briefly exposed to extreme temperatures of up to 45°C and 6°C. Another chameleon from the same population was caught at a later time and also developed skin lesions, which indeed suggests an infected population in Florida.

A free-ranging chameleon population infected with Paranannizziopsis australasiensis could pose a huge risk to native reptiles. The fungal pathogen is known to be highly infectious and aggressive. In addition, free-ranging panther chameleons in Florida are now being captured by dealers and sold to private owners, which could result in the spread of the disease in private reptile populations. Further research is urgently needed to clarify the extent of the current occurrence of Paranannizziopsis australasiensis in Florida, both in herpetoculture and in the wild.

Dermatomycosis caused by Paranannizziopsis australasiensis in nonnative panther chameleons (Furcifer pardalis) captured in Central Florida, USA
Natalie M. Claunch, Colin M. Goodman, Madison Harman, Mariaguadalupe Vilchez, Savanna D. Smit, Bryan M. Kluever, James F.X. Wellehan, Robert J. Ossiboff, Christina M. Romagosa
Journal of Wildlife Diseases (4), 2023
DOI: 10.7589/JWD-D-22-00018

Long-term study on sperm collection in chameleons

Long-term study on sperm collection in chameleons

by Alex Laube Tiermedizin Science

Assisted reproduction has become increasingly common in the conservation of extremely rare animals such as the Spix’s macaw or northern white rhinoceros in recent years. In reptiles, on the other hand, there have only been a few studies on assisted reproduction, and only a few on chameleons in particular. Scientists from the USA have now conducted a study on male Veiled and Panther Chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus and Furcifer pardalis).

At Louisiana State University, 16 males of each species were kept under standardised conditions for over a year. The panther chameleons were purchased from a US breeder, the Yemen chameleons from a dealer who had taken them from the introduced wild chameleon population in Florida. All males were kept individually in ZooMed screen cages, equipped with automatic sprinklers and artificial plants. Temperatures were around 28-29°C during the day with spots to seek higher values. 12 h UV-B irradiation per day was offered. They were fed with crickets and zophobas.

Before the start of the study, all 32 chameleons were clinically examined and parasites were treated. Only after a month of acclimatisation did the actual study begin. During the study year, all chameleons were put under anaesthesia twice a month. Each time, blood was taken from the ventral tail vein or the jugular vein to determine the testosterone concentration. Ultrasound was used to measure the size of the testicles. In addition, each time an attempt was made to obtain sperm by electroejaculation. Electroejaculation involved inserting a small metal probe into the cleaned cloaca. Each chameleon was then treated up to three times in succession with up to 15 electric shocks of 0.1/0.2/0.3 mAs. The semen collection experiments were stopped as soon as the animal ejaculated. The sperm collected was preserved and examined for ejaculate volume, presence of sperm, sperm motility, concentration, and morphology.

The results suggest that Veiled Chameleons follow a so-called prenuptial reproductive strategy under constant husbandry conditions. The testosterone concentration in the blood already increased before the sperm volume of the males had reached its maximum. The months of May, April, and June brought the best sperm volumes, the most sperm was produced by electroejaculations in the third attempt. Testicle sizes also varied throughout the year, with the largest measurements from August to December.

Panther chameleons, on the other hand, seem to follow a postnuptial reproductive strategy. In them, most sperm could only be obtained well after the highest point of testosterone concentration. The electroejaculations worked best in March, April, May and June. Much more often than in Yemen chameleons, electroejaculation in panther chameleons worked already in the first attempt. The size of the testicles also varied throughout the year, but most were largest in the months mentioned above. Together with the factors mentioned above, the volume of ejaculate, sperm concentration, sperm motility and sperm morphology also changed during the year.

The authors recommend that electroejaculation in chameleons should generally only be performed under anaesthesia. The success rate for spermatozoa in the two highest cases was 82 and 88%, which is similar to the success in other reptiles during their reproductive season. The mortality rate among the 32 animals was only 0.12% over the whole year. One panther chameleon died after 10 months during the 20th anaesthesia, after death kidney damage was detected. From the low mortality rate, the authors conclude that electroejaculation rather does not play a role in the development of kidney disease, as was suspected in other studies. However, an examination of the blood for kidney values was not carried out on any of the surviving chameleons after the study. It also remains unclear what role the lack of imitation of rainy and dry seasons during the year plays for both species and their reproductive cycle.

Characterizing the annual reproductive cycles of captive male veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus) and panther chameleons (Furcifer pardalis)
Sean M. Perry, Sarah R. Camlic, Ian Konsker, Michael Lierz, Mark A. Mitchell
Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery 33 (1), 2023, pp. 45-60
DOI: 10.5818/JHMS-D-22-00037

Introduced chameleons in Florida

Introduced chameleons in Florida

by Alex Laube Science

The “Sunshine State” Florida in the southeast of the USA has long been known for a variety of introduced reptiles. Students at the University of Florida recently published a small brochure on the current status of chameleon species introduced there.

As early as the late 1800s, a non-native reptile was documented to have found its way to Florida by ship: an anole. Since then, some 150 introduced species have been documented in the US state, including eight species of chameleons. Three of them are now spread over the entire southern half of the peninsula and even reproduce: the Yemen chameleon Chamaeleo calyptratus, the Malagasy Giant chameleon Furcifer oustaleti, and the panther chameleon Furcifer pardalis.

Current known distribution of Panther, Veiled, and Malagasy Giant Chameleons in Florida.

All three species are thought to have come into the country with increasing pet trade and private keeping of chameleons. Furcifer oustaleti has been in Florida since at least the year 2000. At that time, the first findings became known in an avocado plantation located in the immediate vicinity of the buildings of a former importer in Miami – Dade County. Chamaeleo calyptratus was first recorded in Fort Myers on a vacant lot only a little later, in 2002. Furcifer pardalis followed in 2008.

The question of whether any of the three species mentioned should be considered invasive is difficult to answer so far due to a lack of data. A species is considered invasive if it is non-native, has been introduced by humans, and has been proven to cause damage to native flora and fauna. The last point, however, is debatable. While Jackson’s chameleons in Hawaii have been shown to consume endangered native snail species, among others, the same is not yet known from Florida. There, the animals are currently considered more of a nuisance, but with the potential to threaten the native invertebrate fauna.

The problem is that chameleons are still being released – sometimes they escape unintentionally, but sometimes they are deliberately released in order to collect and sell the offspring later. For the latter, you need a permit in Florida. Interesting to note: Anyone is allowed to kill introduced chameleons on their own property “in a humane way”. In some places, chameleons are already being collected to be sold to private owners.

The students call for observations of chameleons in Florida to be reported on the internet via IveGot1.org or via the app of the same name. So far, not all populations are known, as much information is only passed on by hand. Furthermore, they ask that chameleons that have become a nuisance should not be abandoned, but handed into the Exotic Pet Amnesty Program of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The surrender there is free of charge, and the EPAP is ultimately looking for new keepers for the animals.

Florida’s introduced reptiles: Veiled Chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus), Oustalet’s chameleon (Furcifer oustaleti), and panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis)
Max Maddox, Karissa Beloyan, Natalie M. Claunch, Steve A. Johnson
Veröffentlichung des Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department, Universität of Florida
DOI: 10.32473/edis-UW501-2022