Crooked horns…Jackson’s chameleons, Hawaii…

[kinyonga]

“The Jackson's chameleons in Hawaii have crooked horns so often due to limited availability of calcium in their environment of volcanic origin.”…
https://www.chameleons.info/l/why-the-hawaiian-jacksons-chameleons-have-often-deformed-horns/

Here are some articles I found about calcium in Hawaii…
“White sand is the most common type of Hawaii sand in all the islands”…
Hawaii’s white sand is “mostly composed of calcium carbonate which is produced by marine life as shells and skeletons”…
https://bossfrog.com/interesting-hawaii-sand-facts/maui-information/
“DUST IN THE WIND NOURISHES HAWAIIAN RAINFOREST”…
“In the case of calcium it is dissolved in rainwater or comes from sea-salt aerosols blown in from the ocean.”…
https://news.ucsb.edu/1999/011204/dust-wind-nourishes-hawaiian-rainforest

 

[ehdee6]

I also wonder how the general environment and quality of life comes into this.

When I first got Mr. Jack, his horns were so deformed! I was worried his horns were going to grow into each other. Although I got him from a reputable shop, he was in a small enclosure with fake plants.

Now, 6 months later, his horns are starting to correct themselves and look much healthier. He's in a xl reptibreeze with real plants and Arcadia LED plant light and UVB.