Yellow Giant Parson’s Chameleon

Captive Bred

The Yellow Giant Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii) is a species of chameleon native to isolated pockets of humid primary forest in eastern and northern Madagascar. This chameleon is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and is listed on Appendix II of CITES, meaning that trade in this chameleon is regulated.

Yellow Giant Parson’s Chameleon is a solitary species that spends most of its time hunting for large insects and small vertebrates on the branches of trees during the day. This chameleon is able to change its skin color in response to temperature, light or its surroundings (2).

Yellow Giant Parson’s Chameleon Males use their colors to communicate in a variety of ways, including displaying brighter or darker colors during courtship as well as when they are exhibiting aggressive territorial behavior. Males have been known to coil their tails tightly and whip them forward during some escalated aggression periods.

Yellow Giant Parson’s Chameleon can easily recognize their territory from a distance and will display a variety of colors to indicate which areas they consider theirs, including black, blue, green and red. They are a highly territorial species and often fight other chameleons for their territory.

Their big, protruding eyes allow them to have a full 360-degree visual arc around their body, enabling them to view the environment clearly without having to lift their head. They also have a prehensile tail that functions like the fifth limb, making them more efficient for catching prey quickly.

Yellow Giant Parson’s Chameleon are incredibly powerful creatures, capable of capturing their prey with their long tongues which can be up to two times their body length. They can also detect sounds and vibrations through their internal sensors, which allows them to sense when their prey is moving.