Please check the color of this photo (Parsons)

[mrayers]

Hi,

I have been only lurking at this site for several months, because I don't have any chameleons in my home. However, I really love seeing all of the great pictures posted here--such beautiful creatures! They remind me of my trips to Madagascar, a place that I am aching to return to...

In that regard, I have recently been going through my photo collection, most of which were taken several years ago, trying to identify some things that I couldn't at the time, and doing a better job of enhancing those images that need some work.

That brings me to the picture in this post. It was taken in Ranomafana National Park, late at night, in pitch black conditions. I usually hate to use a flash, but I did that time since there was no other choice. Of course the flash reflected off of various parts of the chameleon's body, appearing in bright shades of purple, etc. that were not visible to the naked eye.

I have tried to correct the color, and I was wondering if any Parson's owners out there could comment on whether the result looks natural or not?

(And I am not 100% sure it is a Parsons, could be an O'shaughnessy's, or something else--what do you think?)

Thanks,
Michael Ayers

 

[Kent67]

It's part of the Elephant-Eared or Short-Horned Chameleon complex. Since it was taken in Ranomafana, I'd venture it's actually Calumma crypticum. Haven't seen too many photos of the species, but the ones I have seen have all seemed to be colored-up, displaying specimens so can't help you on the color.

We'd all LOVE to see more of your "in the wild" photos!

Edit: Really an awesome pic! I just looked at the Glaw and Vences field guide and the two photos of males both showed some blue. Was there blue showing in the pic originally?

 

[DavidBuchan]

I never kept a Parsons, but it looks good to me - what did the original look like?
And now I've read Kent67s post, here's a pic you might like

http://travel.mongabay.com/madagascar/images/calumma_parsonii_0129.html

 

[mrayers]

Thanks, guys. That was quick.

I think you have gotten it.

The one I saw must have been a female C. Crypticum, as my original picture looked exactly like the one David linked to (perhaps it was the same chameleon ). By my memory it was a very uniform green visualy, but my photo had a purplish horizonal striping just like the mongabay pic, though in my case it was must more intense and garish and obviously was an artifact. I suspect the other photo had the same effect. I shifted the purple hue to more of an olive green, which seemed to look about right.

From what I could find, the English name for C. Crypticum is "Blue-Legged Chameleon", though I did see one site that called it a "Cryptic Chameleon". I'm going to go with the first name, unless anyone here knows for sure otherwise.

Thanks again for the identification. I do have a handfull of other wild pics that I have been meaning to post in the appropriate thread, and will do so shortly. Most of them aren't too great, as they are a-few-to-several years old, taken at a time when the choice of digital cameras wasn't very good...

Cheers,
Mike

 

[DavidBuchan]

Thanks again for the identification. I do have a handfull of other wild pics that I have been meaning to post in the appropriate thread, and will do so shortly. Most of them aren't too great, as they are a-few-to-several years old, taken at a time when the choice of digital cameras wasn't very good...

Cheers,
Mike

Well we all like wildlife photos - I'm going to get to Madagascar myself in the next few years, can't wait (can't save money either, but that's my problem )........If it's a Chameleon, Kent'll tell you what it is...........