There is a lot of variety in the shape of melleri lobes. The lobes are not a reliable method for identifying individuals; lobes may alter over the lifetime of the chameleon. They are easily damaged and will change shape and thickness upon healing. It's definitely a good topic for comparing photos. Let's see your lobes!

Folded into each other


These lobes naturally stuck out sideways, even when at rest.


Please excuse the hornworm guts.


Roll top lobes


Webbed lobes

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Kristina Francis
http://www.melleridiscovery.com/

"The human mind treats a new idea the same way the
body treats a strange protein; it rejects it."
- Peter B. Medawar
Nobel Prize-winning immunologist

not to be off topic and have no pictures of any lobs, but i was just thinking that thos reminded me of ceratopsian dinosaurs. food for thought.

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I can see that similarity- especially the one with the laterally extended lobes, reminiscent of ceratopsian frills. Ceratopsians had the extreme protection of bone frills, not fleshy lobes. The only thing they have in common is the impressive display both types of animal could get when they arched the neck/dropped the rostrum.

Could lobes protect a melleri from a predator's bite to the neck? Another question for the field.

__________________
Kristina Francis
http://www.melleridiscovery.com/

"The human mind treats a new idea the same way the
body treats a strange protein; it rejects it."
- Peter B. Medawar
Nobel Prize-winning immunologist

also the horn. i forget what ceratopsian it was but there was one that had just one horn like that. very cool.

i dont know melleri well, or at all to be honest, but i dont think that was the reason. one of theories of the lobes on ceratopsian dinosaurs was that it was for attracting a mate.
do melleri puff it out and up when its about to mate or attracting a mate?
it could protect them from a bite, dont get me wrong, i have no clue how tough and thick they are. if it would be hard to get threw then maybe.
also they could puff it up (if they can puff it up, im only speculating) to avoid predators. make themselves look bigger.

what do you know they do with it?

this is very interesting. there is a guy at this pet store by my house that got a melleri, i should check in on him and find out if he is doing ok.

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Monoclonius leaps to mind. Einiosaurus has a horn oriented forward, like melleri.

Lobes feel like a piece of thick leather, or stiff rubber. The undersides have thin, delicate skin.

They hold the lobes out sideways from the head to bluff, and can flick the lobes rapidly in territorial and courtship displays. Sometimes, they raise one lobe at a novel prey item, before shooting the tongue. Lobes may move slightly when they chew. When you see a large melleri holding up its lobes, hissing, squinting, laterally compressed, and swaying, you don't feel like messing with it. To paraphrase Larson: this is how Nature says "do not touch".

This was a fresh import before he settled in, holding up his lobes in warning/bluff:


This is the previously shown male with the laterally-oriented lobes, holding them up as far as he could:

__________________
Kristina Francis
http://www.melleridiscovery.com/

"The human mind treats a new idea the same way the
body treats a strange protein; it rejects it."
- Peter B. Medawar
Nobel Prize-winning immunologist

I love the mellers. Your pics are very nice too. I wanted to get one for my second cham but couldnt find any CB so I went with the panther instead. I will one day own one though. I love the fact that they are huge and also have very interesting color scheme.

with that being said i dont think that they are "ment" to block a bite. they might infact do that in some situations, but i dont think that is how they evolved. i could be wrong but i think it is more of a mate thing.

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Great lobe pictures, Kristina.

Isn't it interesting how they usually hold up the lobe furthest from the opponent they are trying to impress? I.e. if you're on the right side of the chameleon, he'll raise his left lobe at you and vice versa.

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1.2.1 Ch. (T.) melleri, 1.2 Ch. (T.) jacksonii xantholophus
My work: www.gibbonsrock.com

Thanks! Where are yours, hmmmm?

I love that gesture, very humorous to see. I thought it was a mild warning, as in, "you're pushing my limits". The raised, pinched foot may follow. Is it just conserving energy, knowing that it doesn't need to raise both lobes to get the message across? I've seen them do that to prey, too.

__________________
Kristina Francis
http://www.melleridiscovery.com/

"The human mind treats a new idea the same way the
body treats a strange protein; it rejects it."
- Peter B. Medawar
Nobel Prize-winning immunologist

I've never specifically taken pictures of lobes, maybe I'll take some this weekend. I should take some of Dume's 'alley cat' lobe - he's missing a little triagular wedge, just like a cartoon alley cat.

I think it's simply giving a different message than raising both lobes. In my experience they raise both lobes when approaching their apponent head-on and just one lobe when they are the ones being approached. And with opponent I mean anything from rival melleri to keepers to big bug.
I've never actually documented this carefully but that's what I'm pulling up from memory now.

Whatever it is; lobes rock!

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1.2.1 Ch. (T.) melleri, 1.2 Ch. (T.) jacksonii xantholophus
My work: www.gibbonsrock.com