Jackson's Chameleon

Jackson's Chameleon
ジャクソンカメレオン
Character Data
AKA		Jackson's horned chameleon, three-horned chameleon, Kikuyu three-horned chameleon
Romaji		Jakuson kamereon
Debut		Kemono Friends 3
Animal Data
Scientific Name		Trioceros jacksonii
Distribution		Kenya and Tanzania
Diet		Insectivore
Avg. Lifespan		5-10 years
Read More		Jackson's chameleon
Conservation

Jackson's Chameleon

KF3

Gallery

Jackson's Chameleon is a type of Friend that first appeared in Kemono Friends 3.

Appearance

Jackson's Chameleon's outfit seems to have been inspired by fantasy style Kunoichi-esque clothing. Her purple hair which represent her animal counterpart horns are covering her left eye.

Series Appearances

Appearances In Kemono Friends Media

Media		Role
2019	Kemono Friends 3	↪ Minor character, playable character

In Real Life

A male Jackson's Chameleon on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Photo by Movingsaletoday (public domain work). Date unknown.

A wild female T. j. xantholophus from Hilo, HI. Photo by Wikipedia user AlaskaDave25.

The Jackson's Chameleon (Trioceros jacksonii) is a species of chameleon family (Chamaeleonidae), native to East Africa. It was introduced to the United States via Hawaii, Florida, and California.

They are rather small reptiles, with males reaching up to 38 cm (15 in) (including the tail) and females up to 25 cm (10 in). As with all sexually dimorphic species, one look is all that is needed to differentiate gender: Males usually bright green with occasional traces of blue and yellow, whereas females are dull brown and gray. However like all chameleons, they can change color depending on mood, health, and temperature.

A Jackson's Chameleon in Melbourne zoo. Note the three horns as the characteristic of the male. Photo by benjamint444, 2007.

Unlike most chameleons, which are oviparous, Jackson's chameleon are viviparous. Eight to thirty live young (called hatchlings) are birthed after a five to six month gestation period. The hatchlings are born right after they are ready to hatch from their egg sacs.

Jackson's chameleons can be found in the woodlands and forests of south-central Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are typically found at altitudes of 1,600 to 2,440 m (5,250 to 8,010 ft.). However in the state of Hawaii, one can find them at altitudes of 100 to 1,000 m (330 to 3,280 ft.) in wet, shady places.

Insects are the preferred food, but will also eat centipedes, isopods, millipedes, spiders, other lizards, small birds, and snails.

Hawaii considers the Jackson's Chameleon an invasive species. Necropsy results have found various insects in subjects' stomachs: planthoppers, grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, dragonflies, and even whole snails, shell and all. Since their introduction to Hawaii, they've become a substantial threat to biodiversity of native invertebrates (including the land snails Achatinella, Auriculella, Lamellidea, Philonesia, and Oxychilus alliarius. Specifically, the critically endangered O'ahu tree snails are in trouble from the invasive species.

Trivia

• Jackson's Chameleon is the first completely new Reptile Friend to be revealed since the original game.
• It was first described by zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1896.
• There are three (3) subspecies- T. j. jacksonii (Jackson's Chameleon), T. j. merumontanus (Dwarf Jackson's Chameleon), and T. j. xantholophus (Yellow-crested Jackson's chameleon).
• The genus generic name "Trioceros" comes from the Greek word τρί- (tri-) meaning "three" and κέρας (kéras) meaning "horns", referencing the three horns found on males' heads.

References

• Wikipedia Page
• "Jackson's Chameleon". Animal Spot. 2 December 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
• Spawls S, Howell K, Drewes RC, Ashe J (2002). A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibian of East Africa. Academic Press. pp. 227-228. ISBN 0-12-656470-1
• Holland BS, Montgomery SL, Costello V (2010). "A reptilian smoking gun: first record of invasive Jackson’s chameleon (Chamaeleo jacksonii ) predation on native Hawaiian species". Biodiversity and Conservation 19 (5): 1437-1441. doi:10.1007/s10531-009-9773-5.
• Kraus F, Preston D (2012). "Diet of the invasive lizard Chamaeleo jacksonii (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae) at a wetforest site in Hawaii". Pacific Science 66: 397-404. PDF.
• "Jackson's Chameleon Care". Chameleon Academy. Retrieved 2020-05-30.