Original subtitles

(suspenseful music)

- [Richard] Peculiar, mysterious, magical.

Chameleons are familiar to almost every person on Earth,

yet they are found in just a handful

of places on the planet.

(thunder claps) We still know so little

about them.

Join us as we embark on a quest to reveal

the secret life of these strange, exotic creatures.

(wind howling)

And with the help of the latest technology,

we'll go right inside their amazing world.

(upbeat dramatic music)

We'll reveal new science and solve some age-old mysteries.

From the island of Madagascar,

the forests of East and Southern Africa,

(singing in foreign language)

to the sand dunes of the Namibian Desert,

meet the chameleons of the world.

(gentle music)

Chameleons are among the world's most fascinating lizards,

renowned for their strange and unusual characteristics.

On this world trip, we'll meet the biggest,

and the smallest, the most colorful,

and the most weird.

We'll discover how they change color

according to their mood, how they speak with their skins,

and with the help of high-speed photography

and X-ray vision, we'll reveal cutting edge science

from how they use their long-shooting tongues

to how some use their tail as a walking stick.

Witness never-been-seen-before X-ray imaging

and high-speed photography.

We go look for them in the most amazing settings

and places imaginable.

(wind howling)

(zapping) (object bangs)

The distribution of chameleons is confined

to Africa, the Mediterranean,

the Arabian Peninsula, India, and Sri Lanka,

and also, the island of Madagascar.

Travel with our two experts as they reveal

the amazing world of chameleons.

(suspenseful exotic music)

Marius Burger explores the world

in search of frogs and reptiles,

and he has a specific interest in chameleons.

He will take us to find some of the most iconic species

in their natural habitat.

Anthony Herrel has long been interested

in functional morphology and investigates the feeding

and movement of chameleons in his lab in Paris.

It makes sense to start our exploration here,

where the first chameleon was described.

- I'm on a quest to follow the early discoveries

of Carl Linnaeus, the Swedish biologist

that became known as the father of taxonomy.

Yes, he's the inventor of the classification system

that we still use today, assigning scientific names

to new plants and animals.

He launched the system in 1758, and it was at that time

that the world's very first chameleon species was named,

Chamaeleo chamaeleon, the Mediterranean Chameleon.

Here it is.

So, this was the world's introduction

to the existence of chameleons.

It's a bit ironic that this rather drab chameleon

should serve as the prototype,

when, in fact, another 170 species

would ascribe subsequently.

Most of them thousands of kilometers away,

in East Africa, South Africa, and in Madagascar.

- [Richard] If you are told that this could be regarded

as drab and very common,

then one can begin to anticipate

the extraordinary world of chameleons.

(intense music)

(waves crashing)

South Africa is well-known for its perfectly flat mountain,

Table Mountain.

This mountain is home to the most diverse vegetation type

in the entire world, known as fynbos.

More than 9,000 different plant species thrive here

and among these pretty flowers

lives an equally pretty chameleon.

(grasses rustling)

- And this is where you find

a very strange group of chameleons.

Now, what is so special about the Dwarfs?

Most other chameleons are egg-layers,

but these, they give birth to live babies,

up to 17 in one litter!

And here, in the Southwestern Cape,

near the very tip of Africa,

in this rich fynbos vegetation,

this is where you will find a Cape Dwarf.

(grasses rustling)

(water trickling) - From the southern tip

of Africa, we head inland.

The Drakensberg, or Dragon Mountains,

is the most prominent geological feature

of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.

It reaches an altitude of almost 10,000 feet,

and will be snowcapped in winter.

The fact that chameleons can live

under these extreme conditions shows

how versatile and adaptable these remarkable creatures are.

Until recently, just one type of chameleon

was thought to live here,

but DNA analysis has uncovered the presence

of an overlooked species,

and here it is.

Currently, it has no scientific name.

But maybe, Emerald Dwarf Chameleon would suit.

This is a pregnant female.

Her baby's soon to be born into this majestic landscape.

Miniature dragons of the Dragon Mountains.

(birds chirping) (cicadas buzzing)

The diversity of South African chameleons correlates

with the diversity of South African habitats.

Cape Dwarf Chameleons inhabit the fynbos,

while the Emerald Dwarf lives in mountainous terrain.

(intense didgeridoo music)

Others share the Valley Bushveld with the gentle giants.

(hooves pounding) While some survive

the extremes of the arid Karoo.

East Africa is thought to be home to a third

of the world's chameleons.

From the lush rainforests of the famed Usambaras,

the Eastern Arc Mountains,

to the slopes of Kilimanjaro,

down onto the savanna plains and woodlands

with meandering riverine thickets,

this is the stronghold for chameleons of the world.

(crickets chirping) (birds chirping)

(rustling)

- The Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania

is well-known as a biodiversity hotspot.

In fact, it comprises several mountain ranges,

each with a unique suit of plants and animals,

including chameleons that occur only

on specific mountains.

But to find them requires a bit of an effort.

(rustling)

- [Richard] But those efforts will be well-rewarded,

for the chameleons of East Africa

are not your typical garden varieties.

(suspenseful music)

(birds chirping)

(water trickling)

(suspenseful percussion beat)

- Most of the members of Kinyongia have two horns,

and look at this splendid specimen.

How is that for an Usambara two-horned male?

Too green to be true!

And the horns?

An extra touch of class.

- [Richard] The horns serve to intimidate other males.

However, females are also seduced by these.

More well-endowed males with their large horns

are perceived to be more handsome,

more ecologically fit compared to some adult males

with a little less to offer.

Kinyongia, where horn size does matter.

Not all chameleons live in trees.

Right under your feet, you can find chameleons

in odd shapes and sizes.

Some 40 of the 170 species of chameleons in the world

are ground-living.

(bird chirping) (millipede legs tapping)

But to see them, you need to keep your eyes peeled.

(footsteps rustling)

(leaves rustling) (birds chirping)

- If chameleons are tree-living,

then why am I staring so attentively at this pile of leaves?

Well, not all chameleons live up there.

There are at least 15 species in Africa

that are adjusted to live amongst the dry leaves,

and those are the Stump-Tailed and Pygmy Chameleons.

And here, in front of me, almost impossible to see,

is the Bearded Stump-Tailed Chameleon.

Whew, that is quite incredible.

This is camouflage at its extreme.

The body is completely flattened like a dry leaf,

it has the same color, and it even has venation,

and the tail, completely useless.

Look, it's just a little stump.

It doesn't have the prehensile abilities

like the arboreal chameleons have.

(cheerful African music)

(singing in foreign language) (monkey calling)

- [Richard] Much of East Africa is savanna.

It's here that you'll find one

of the largest chameleons in the world.

- (laughs) How is this for a monster of a chameleon?

And I'm telling you, a chameleon this size

is quite nippy.

It seems like this guy's intent on embedding his talons

into my skin, into my flesh.

(tsks) Very nippy but what a splendid beast!

One of the biggest chameleons in the world.

In fact, this is the biggest chameleon in Africa.

This is Meller's Chameleon, also known

as the Giant One-Horned Chameleon.

Most of East Africa's chameleons live in a rainforest

but there are quite a few, including this one,

that prefer woodland savanna,

which is a much more open habitat type,

and these chameleons can thus very easily see each other,

and when they do, there's quite the display.

Now, these flaps of skin at the back here,

are called occipital lobes, or ear flaps,

that's got nothing to do with the real ears,

just flaps of skin, and when they see each other,

they become very cross, they charge

and flap those ears like irate elephants.

(suspenseful exotic music)

(birds chirping)

- [Richard] Living in these lush environments

might seem easy, but not all chameleons are this fortunate.

(dramatic music)

In the oldest desert in the world,

a single species of chameleon has been surviving

in harsh conditions for millennia.

This is undoubtedly the most unlikely place

to find a chameleon.

The Namib Desert extends from Southern Angola

all the way to the border of South Africa.

It's a vast and unforgiving landscape.

Surely, no place for a chameleon.

(brooding music)

(sand rustling) (wind blowing)

- And to find this chameleon,

you must be willing to cross miles and miles

of desert sand.

But, with perseverance and endurance,

and a liberal amount of good luck,

this will be your reward.

The Namaqua Chameleon, sand dragon of the Namib Desert.

Somehow, it is able to endure extremely harsh

desert conditions, daytime temperatures soar into the 40s,

the nights are icy cold,

and standing water sometimes nowhere for years on end.

To survive here, you need to be desert-wise.

(fast, brooding music)

- [Richard] In a world of barren openness

and very little vegetation,

chameleons cannot sit and wait,

or depend on camouflage to surprise their prey.

The Namaqua Chameleon has a very different approach.

As soon as its prey is spotted,

rather than depending on a good camouflage,

they run their prey down.

(suspenseful music)

(switches to haunting music) (chameleon munching)

(dramatic music)

The eerie call of an indri,

lost echoes in a rainforest,

a stark contrast to the silence of an ancient desert.

There is no other place quite like this.

It's here where you'll find more than a third

of the world's chameleons.

(lemurs calling)

- Madagascar!

The fourth-largest island in the world

and renowned as a biodiversity hotspot.

Most of the plants and animals from here

occur nowhere else on Earth,

and it is home to a dozen of chameleons

that will surely blow your mind.

This is the real world of chameleons.

(dramatic orchestral music)

(birds calling) (water rushing)

(lemurs calling)

- [Richard] This country is the most diverse

in terms of species of chameleons,

and also boasts the largest and smallest

of these remarkable reptiles.

(chorus singing) (chameleon munching)

- (laughs) Is this a chameleon or what?

You bet it is, and this one

is the biggest of them all.

Parson's Chameleon, Goliath among the giants.

(laughs) I cannot believe it.

It challenges all of the preconceptions

that I ever had about chameleons.

It's nothing like that small little fellow

that was depicted in my school books.

And I wish you could feel the grip of this animal.

It is piercing, it is not a little bit painful.

It is unbelievable.

And they say that these chameleons can catch small birds.

Well, I can believe that.

In fact, I do believe it.

(birds chirping)

- [Richard] This is clearly a male,

since the females lack these short horns on their face.

The Parson's Chameleon can grow to a length

of 70 centimeters, measured from the tip of its snout

to the tip of its tail.

About 10 centimeters longer

than the largest chameleon in Africa,

the Meller's Chameleon.

But are they truly the largest of all chameleons?

Yes, if you consider the weight,

but there is another chameleon

that can reach a similar length,

albeit not quite qualifying in the heavyweight league.

(dramatic music)

Traversing the razor sharp limestone pinnacles

of the Tsingy, the Oustalet's Chameleon

needs intense focus and a calculating gait.

Losing your grip in this hostile environment

could be your last mistake.

Within the sea of seemingly impossible Tsingy

lies islands of lush forest.

The temptation to visit these overrides the challenges

of such terrain.

These limestone formations were formed under the sea

and after being exposed for millions of years,

the forces of erosion carved this treacherous landscape.

(singing in foreign language)

(animals making animal calls)

(rustling)

Madagascar is not only known for the largest

and most colorful chameleons in the world,

but also for the smallest of them all.

(crickets chirping)

- The world of chameleons never ceases to amaze.

Whereas most of the regular-sized chameleons

and even the giants clumber up in the branches,

some high at the canopy,

on the forest floor lives the small ones.

These are the smallest chameleons in the world,

and even as adults, they are diminutive, minuscule.

They are also the smallest reptiles on this planet.

This is Brookesia minima, found on a small island

off the north coast of Madagascar.

Minima, the mini-me of chameleons.

(slow, cheerful music)

- [Richard] Size is a matter of scale.

What would be considered a small creature in our world

may be a giant if it lives in a miniature one.

(wind blowing)

The world of chameleons is undoubtedly colorful.

They live a secretive life,

sometimes hidden right under our noses,

and so very often, we walk straight past

these incredible lizards.

It's a world of change with a colorful language.

We know so little about them,

and only now have started to realize

how incredibly diverse and unique chameleons really are.

Next time, in Chameleons Of The World,

inside our high-tech lab in Paris,

we reveal new and cutting edge research.

For the first time, we'll see how the tongue

of a chameleon really works.

- There it goes.

Alright, he's got it, cool!

- [Richard] How they use their tail

as a walking stick for balance.

- They actually use their tail as a fifth limb.

- [Richard] And how they change color.

- And what a lot of drama!

(singing in foreign language)

(dramatic music)

- [Richard] Join us on our quest

for the chameleons of the world.

(wind howling)

(grand orchestral music)

(letters swoosh)