Panther Chameleons Fight for Dominance in Madagascar Treetops

Madagascar has had a turbulent past. At its birth, it was ripped from India and Africa, and the geological upheavalss have continued since. The north of the island is speckled with slumbering volcanoes. On the forested slopes lives another Madagascar specialtity, a chameleon. Chameleons weren't amongst those pioneering castaways. Theirs is a different story. It's thought that they evolved here in Madagascar itself.

They're wonderfully adapted to a life in the trees. Their toes are fused, so their feet grip like tongs, and the arrangement of their legs is unusual for a reptile. They're beneath their body. This allows them to walk on branches thinner than their body. A male panther chameleon, one of the biggest A second male is in his tree. He won't like that. If the intruder doesn't back down, there will be trouble. They're evenly matched. It's neck and neck.

The territory holder wins and the loser takes the quickest way out.