The Unique Reproductive Strategy of the Seychellois Chameleon, Archaius tigris

The Tiger Chameleon, Archaius tigris, inhabits the Seychelles islands of the Seychelles archipelago. Being a fragment of Gondwana, which is mostly submerged and preserved only as the highest peaks of the former mountains of the little continent, the Seychellois fauna is very unique and endemic, harbouring ancient faunistic and floristic elements of Gondwana origin. The Tiger Chameleon has been described as two separate species, but due to a lack of research, they have been considered one. It seems there are actually three separate species of the genus Archaius, which is endemic to the Seychelles islands; each island population is very likely a separate form. 

These islands laying in the Indian Ocean benefit from their equatorial position and tropical, humid climate, and in their preserved parts, they are covered with lush, green tropical vegetation. 

The Tiger Chameleon developed a unique strategy to survive in the permanently soaked environments with water. Unlike all other species of chameleons, it does not lay its eggs in the earth or leaf litter, but deposits them into suitable plant leaves. Originally, it utilized certain palm trees and Pandanus species native to this island. Nowadays, it has accepted a widespread cultural plant introduced by the settlers, namely, the pineapple. The eggs are laid in the pineapple or palm above the ground and are actually exposed to weather conditions like rain and sun so that during the rains, they literally float in the small pools built up in the axils of the leaves, and in dryer periods, they become dry. Despite such harsh conditions, the young hatch and the populations of the tiger chameleon are still very strong, despite, of course, being under pressure and threat, especially from human activities, deforestation, farming, and introduced invasive species such as tenrecs. 

Lots of research is ahead of us to elucidate all the interesting life strategies and survival strategies of this spectacular species or group of species, which deserves our attention and is in need of our protection.