Crawlin' In My Yard

So I was walking through my yard one day and suddenly stopped in my tracks as a strange neighbor cut me off. Geckos are a common sight in Hawaii — they often crawl across the walls inside your house. But this creature looked like a dinosaur crossed with a cucumber. It's called a Jackson Chameleon and people keep them as "pets" in cages. I assume that over the years they have escaped from people's houses and survived in the tropical environment here. I included a description from zoo.org below. When this guy realized I was watching him, he didn't run, but just spun his funky eyeballs around. That scared me away.



"Found in African forests, Jackson's Chameleons move slowly, relying on camouflage rather than speed to avoid predators. They have sharp claws and especially adapted feet to wrap around the twigs of trees. Their eyes, mounted on movable turrets can move independently in all directions to scan for danger or food to eat. Their long thin tongue can be extended rapidly to catch insects and spiders. Chameleons are famous for their ability to change colour according to the amount of light, the temperature, and their mood - whether they are angry or frightened for example. They prefer to live alone and use their horns in combat against other males to defend their territories."