A small population of veiled chameleons was first found by alert Maui residents in the early 2000s. Thanks to community support, these lizards have been eliminated from Maui, protecting native species. — Photo courtesy MISC
High on the slopes of Haleakala are some of the last remaining pockets of habitat for Hawaii’s endangered forest birds. The forest here is isolated, and cool temperatures slow the development of diseases that prove fatal to forest birds at lower elevations. Even in this refuge, invasive predators roam the forest: rats, cats and mongoose. These predators, all introduced in the last 400 years, find an easy meal in the eggs and nests of birds that evolved over millions of years without tree-climbing predators.
In the early 2000s, community cooperation kept a new threat from reaching forest bird refuges. Alert and concerned Maui residents worked alongside a multiagency contingent of invasive species professionals to stop the predatory veiled chameleon from reaching upper-elevation forests.
It started with the first sighting of the slow-moving lizard. In 2002, a coffee farmer in Kaanapali found an unusually large chameleon in the fields. It was dead, but he hadn’t seen anything like it before and reported the finding to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. The large lizard was a veiled chameleon — sold in the pet trade but, until this finding, no one thought it had made its home in Hawaii. The Maui Invasive Species Committee launched a campaign to alert residents to the presence of this lizard, hoping that if other chameleons were there, they could be found.
Veiled chameleons are one of 200 species of chameleons in the world, none of which are represented in the native fauna of the islands. This detection would make it the second chameleon species illegally released in Hawaii. The Jackson’s chameleon, well known to many, has spread throughout many low-elevation, damp environments in Hawaii.
In their native habitat of Yemen and Saudi Arabia, veiled chameleons are both predator and prey. They’re omnivorous, eating plants and crickets, caterpillars or small animals; these reptiles then become food for snakes and large birds. But in Hawaii, there are no natural predators to keep them in check. Jackson chameleons are known to eat endangered native snails, but are so widely established that control is no longer possible. Veiled chameleons are much larger — able to take not just snails, but also small birds for lunch or dinner. In addition to potential impacts on native birds, their ability to tolerate colder temperatures alarmed scientists because veiled chameleons could survive in the high-elevation refuges for Hawaii’s threatened and endangered forest birds.
MISC’s publicity campaign helped find more veiled chameleons. Makawao residents recognized and reported sightings of the chameleon — they had the same lizard in their own yards. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and MISC worked with the community to search backyards every six weeks. When people in the neighborhood found the lizards, they turned them in.
By 2003, search crews and residents had captured a total of 102 chameleons. Over time, the numbers steadily declined. The last capture was in 2008.
In 2012, after a final search and outreach to the community, the agencies involved in the effort agreed: veiled chameleons had been eradicated from all known locations on Maui. Addressing the threat early, with community cooperation, prevented this species’ spread and protected threatened and endangered species.
While all signs indicate that veiled chameleons are eradicated from Maui, there could still be populations on the island. Staying attentive to unusual animals in your backyard can help protect species across the island.
What can you do? Stay alert for the veiled chameleon. They are distinctive, larger than their horned cousins. They sport a “shark fin” head and saw-tooth fringe on their belly. Veiled chameleons and other usual lizards should be reported to the pest hotline online at 643PEST.org, by phone at 643-PEST (7378) or to MISC at (808) 573-MISC.
Anyone can turn in veiled chameleons or other illegally owned reptiles through the state Department of Agriculture’s amnesty program. Learn more about the veiled chameleon at
* Lissa Strohecker is the outreach and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy and quality of life.
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