Parson's Chameleon - Self Responsibility
Keywords:
Connections to the colour green, forest magic, a connection to Madagascar, looking after yourself from a young age, taking responsibility for yourself and your actions, being quirky or comical, competing with others for 'top spot,' spending time on your own, the magic of trees, spending time in the treetops, being able to see in different worlds at the same time, being able to see two different perspectives, cognitive dissonance, knowing how to blend in, reaction instead of action, holding onto what's important to you.
General Description:
The Parson's chameleon is one of the largest chameleons in the world, and is endemic to eastern and northern Madagascar. It is found in humid, primary mountain forests. Males are a vivid green and females are greenish or brownish-orange. They have two 'horns' that terminate at the end of their nose. They have conical, independently-moving eyes, like all chameleons. They have fused toes that allow them to specialise in gripping branches and twigs. They walk with diagonally opposing limbs. They are capable of colour change, for camouflage, communication, response to temperature and surroundings. They are solitary outside of the breeding season, during it however, males will aggressively butt heads to determine the strongest in breeding season. Females lay approximately 50 eggs at a time, which take over a year to hatch. The young are precocial, and must look after themselves as soon as they are born. They consume insects and vertebrates in arboreal environments. They have suffered from population decline due to being exploited for the pet trade, where they are popular among humans. They also suffer from urbanisation and land clearing.
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