The Parson’s Chameleon is in no hurry to grow up- this species has one of the longest incubation times of any reptile. Eggs on average take two years to hatch, one juvenile was recorded taking a total 781 days.
(Image: A juvenile Parson’s chameleon (Calumma parsonii) by the Chester Zoo)
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I love how Kent Parson's color-changing eyes say so much about his character. He's a chameleon who can shift his personality to fit in with whatever group he's in at the moment. His mood is fickle and can turn sour quickly (like when he suddenly switches from miserable to furious with Jack at Epikegster). He has secrets that few know about, and one of them is his true eye color. It's such a fitting little detail just for those paying attention.
She haves a name but she is not too proud of it, not bc the name its ugly, but bc it shows her as a foreigner (she is a Parson's chameleon, ofc she is gonna have foreigner origins)
The name in question is Fenohery. From Malagasy Feno meaning "full, complete" and Hery meaning "strength, power". Yeah, I like to hc her as malagasy bc her species is from Madagascar
Yes, I will use this fanon name for fanfics and drabbles and stuff. No, I will not elaborate.
No, I will not accept any canon name dropped after this
I am on four levels of procrastination right now, procrastinating on Wikipedia projects I started because I procrastinated on other wikipedia projects.
Anyways, Calumma benovskyi is a species of chameleon named in 2020 on the basis of a almost completely preserved skull. This little guy is special for many things, one of which is the incredible preservation. That's practically the whole skull, mandible plus three neck vertebrae, which is incredible as chameleon fossils are RARE AS HELL.
As you can say its a pretty humble looking animal, an oval skull widest at the point where the frontal and parietal meat, narrow pointed snout, large eyes and a flat headcrest, all packaged into a rather small animal.
Calumma benovskyi is a member of the genus Calumma (shocker I know), which is still around today. Calumma contains over 40 species of varying shapes and sizes, some with decently big headcrests or elongated nose crests. Some examples include the Parson's chameleon (JialiangGao), Boettger's chameleon (pbertner), the globe-horned chameleon (Matthijs Kuijpers) and the blade chameleon (Emanuele Biggi).
However, what makes Calumma benovskyi so special compared to all of these is where it was found. The thing is, modern Calumma species are endemic to Madagascar. The genus is found nowhere else on earth. However, oddly enough Calumma benovskyi is from Kenya's Hiwegi Formation on Rusinga Island (Lake Victoria). Continental Africa. How did that happen?
The answer is simultaneously simple and complex. Obviously there must have been some faunal exchange between mainland Africa and Madagascar, chameleons make that obvious enough and there are other animal groups found on both landmasses (or at least have close relatives on both landmasses). For instance the iconic Aye-Aye of Madagascar has relatives on the mainland as recently as the Miocene. So it wouldn't be unusual to assume that chameleons could have originated on the mainland and only later traveled to Madagascar. This however competes with an older hypothesis that suggests that chameleons evolved on Madagascar and dispersed from there to the continent. So which is it?
Well Čerňanský and colleagues, who named Calumma benovskyi, agree with the African origin for several reasons. For one, the Kenyan species is the oldest known member of this genus. If its on the mainland during the Miocene then perhaps thats where they first evolved (tho this is hard to proof given the absence of fossils). Then there's the matter of phylogeny. Generally speaking, on a phylogenetic tree these guys are surrounded by groups from mainland Africa all around. There's some outliers, like the genus Brookesia that is believed to have arrived in Madagascar much earlier during the Paleocene and the big-nosed chameleon which turned out really weird. But in broad strokes it seems that the Madagascar groups branch away from African ones. Finally on a practical level one has to consider ocean currents. In the paper its argued that during the Oligocene and Miocene, when the second chameleon dispersal may have taken place, currents would have been directed away from the African coast and towards Madagascar. So if a chameleon were to sit on a branch that, through some events ended up in the ocean, it would be swept out towards the island. But a chameleon starting from Madagascar would have to go against the currents to reach Africa. Logically, it just makes more sense for them to have gone eastward. This only changed later during the Mid Miocene. And since Calumma benovskyi lived during the EARLY Miocene, before the shift in currents, it couldn't have come from the island. The conclusion seems simple. It is the oldest known Calumma species, most of the more basal groups are continental and currents at the time only go away from Africa. Case closed?
Weeeeeeeell not entirely. The phylogenetic analysis throw a few curveballs into that neat little package. For the time being I'll ignore the fact that the long-nosed chameleon was recovered as more basal than some African groups in some analysis, as the authors explain that this is likely just the results being fucked over by its weird head. The real problem instead lies with the specific position of Calumma benovskyi and the sister group to this genus. The later aspect concerns the genus Furcifer, another group primarily found on Madagascar (and some other islands that don't matter right now). Following the works of Tolley and colleagues, who also were among those suggesting an African origin, Furcifer is the sister group to Calumma and branched off from them during the Eocene. So if Calumma originated on the mainland, then so must have the last common ancestor between the two genera? Now that doesn't exactly overthrow the hypothesis of course. Both could have split on the mainland and separately arrived on Madagascar, not a big deal, just not as neat. Speaking of things that aren't as neat. Analysis shows that Calumma benovskyi is fairly derived. In simple terms, as far as we know its not the ancestor of the Madagascar chameleons but sits among them. Perhaps then there were multiple dispersal events in Calumma itself or perhaps this position is simply not correct. After all, if Calumma was around in continental Africa, then it seems likely that there was a much greater diversity of chameleons present, one we simply don't know from fossils. So perhaps further discoveries, new taxa, would help make sense of something that now just doesn't have all the pieces yet.
Whatever the case, the authors still hold on to the African origin and it does still make sense when considering age, currents and the surroundings. Hell, the species name itself is a reference to this hypothesis, tho the guy they named it after has a really dubious life history that puts Baron Münchhausen to shame. But I digress. Perhaps this is simply something that will make a lot more sense once we find out more.
To wrap things up, here's the only two serious paleoart pieces of this species I came across. The first published in the year of the animal's naming by Connor Ross/RajaHarimau98 and the later not too long ago by Joschua Knüppe. Because if there's an obscure animal chances are Joschua drew it.
And finally, here's the Wikipedia page that skips the theatralics and has a bit more of the anatomical stuff for those really interested. It also has all the sources and none of my struggling to make sense of the mess that is chameleons traveling across the Indian Ocean. Just the stuff from the papers. Calumma benovskyi - Wikipedia
Parson has accomplished many things. She acquired her unique magic at an early age and had been training it ever since. At the age of seven, she was taught how to handle different weaponry and was able to fend for others and herself.
And yet,
‘I AM SO STRESSED OVER THIS BIRTHDAY GIFT!!!’
She's found herself fussing over a gift in her room.
Multiple crumpled paper was thrown into the trash can along with pencil shavings with how many pencils Parson has broken. The aforementioned girl continued to brainstorm ideas for a gift for her supposedly self proclaimed rival, Drake.
She could probably just give him a gift card and be done with it but the boy had previously given her a lovely gift on her birthday, so it was only fair she returns the favor. Maybe there was another underlying reason but who knows for sure.
Parson quietly messes up her unbraided hair in frustration, Antos already in deep sleep beside her. She sighed and thought to herself, whoever could help her with the gift before a lightbulb appeared beside her head.
“Pear Blossoms, it is 2 A.M. on a Saturday.”
Sun's tired voice answering the phone made the chameleon froze in her seat.
“... It's what.”
“2 A.M.- you know what, just call me back later during lunchbreak or something. I'm getting my beauty sleep.”
The tired boy quickly hung up while Parson was cursing to herself in her hands for not paying attention to the time and taking so long in deciding a gift.
“Alright, what's your emergency?”
Sun spoke into his phone as he sits at a table with Mital beside him. Parson, who's on the other side, took a deep breath before saying everything in one take.
“So, say you have to get a gift for someone who you barely know but you care about them a lot cause they've been with you for a long time and you admire them quite a bit but you just don't know what to get them so now you're stuck in your room, pondering? What would you do?”
“Right, well. Pardon my language but who the fuck?”
The green-haired beastmangirl chuckled nervously at Sun's question. Hesitantly, she answered. “He's um, in Diasomnia?”
The beauty paused before slowly turning his head just enough to see the Diasomnia students, crossing off unfamiliar ones and landing on a rather crude red-haired dragon munching on his food.
Sun turns away before stating his judgement which made Parson sighs. “You can do better than that.”
“Are you helping me or not?”
Sun sighs in frustration, pinching between his furrowed brows. The chameleon can be so insufferable sometimes.
He takes a moment to think before responding.
“Flowers can mean different things and they're generally given to show appreciation anyway.”
“If he's given you something before, maybe try to reciprocate that with something that you find personal?”
Parson pondered for a moment.
“Hm.. Oh! Sun, I have another favor.”
Drake stood by the NRC entrance gate, impatiently fiddling with his hands and his tail swinging from one side to another in a hurry. He was called by Parson to sit there for a few minutes till she arrives.
He had been pacing around the entrance for 15 minutes and he was now beginning to doubt that she was coming. However, he knows her better than that. She wouldn't pull some kind of weird, cruel prank out of nowhere. But what would she want?
“Drake!”
The aforementioned boy jolted in surprise. Hearing his name suddenly being called, he turned around to see Parson holding a few items in her hands.
The red-haired dragon wasted no time to be beside his "rival's" side. They awkwardly stared at one another and exchanged greetings before the chameleon girl extends out a decent-sized bouquet she was holding.
“Um, these are for you...”
“Flowers?”
“Yeah..! A friend of mine gave me the idea.. They hold special meanings that I think suits you so..”
Drake looks at the variety of flowers which Parson had carefully assorted into a bouquet.
Multiple satin flowers and variegated tulips fills the center of the bouquet while weeping willows are peeking from the bottom and wisterias surrounding all the flowers. Drake looked at it in awe, it wasn't the prettiest thing he's seen that would be Parson but he appreciated the thought that went into the gift.
Parson remembered her other present. She reveals a small box in her hand, the cover was neatly decorated with blue felt and looked almost as a ring box. She extends the box to Drake, avoiding his gaze.
The latter stared at the box for a few minutes before gently taking it off of Parson's hand which intertwined back into her lap once the box is off her hand. The inside held a beautifully hand carved silver charm of a moon.
“This was a.. limited time charm from.. a shop belonged to my friend's mother..”
“I have a matching sun brooch. So I just thought you'd like it...”
Parson's brown eyes was on Drake the whole time as he admired the accessory. Feeling self-conscious, she offered to take back the charm if he didn't like it which she was met with a loud protest which further made Drake stumble in his words.
“Uh, I mean, you've gone through such lengths, it would be rude for someone as great as me to not accept!”
Parson had to take a moment to process before letting out a quiet giggle into her hand as Drake felt his face heat up.
“I hope you like them.”
Parson's soft smile and genuine words made Drake's heart skip a beat. He quickly snapped out of his trance and panics.
“Oh wow, would you look at the time!! You should get back, I'm sure you have important pretty business— PRETTY IMPORTANT BUSINESS to do!!!!”
He continued to push Parson out of the gate despite her protests and she finally leaves begrudgingly with a pout on her face.
The red haired dragon sighed as he quickly return back to the school building.
Drake entered his room, deciding to go to his club activity's after getting changed.
He gently placed the bouquet of flowers on his bedside table and flopped face first on his bed. He had hung the moon charm on the chains of his belt and us now tired out from the birthday celebration.
His mind wanders back to his interaction with Parson, being reminded of her having the dragon charm on the handle of her sheathed sword. For the 10th time today, his face heats up and he ends up screaming into his pillows while kicking his feet out of serotonin.
Just thinking of her cute face drives him nuts.
i hope this little fic cheers mee maw up due to recent events
Drake and Mital belongs to @anaxocs
Used Krita for the first time. Not pleased with the process. So firealpaca is still the best :)
Chamaeleōn traditional clothing. Not the usual clothing of theirs though, it's only when they need to hide between tree branches. Also, the headpiece was inspired by true Parson's chameleons when they turn red! ("aggressive territorial manner")
Another detail! The stripes here are brighter, they show how healthy one is.
-Logan Whittaker: A biologist whose goal is to save the forest he lives in. Very conscious of how the lifestyle of modern society has ruined the environment. Also very interested in astronomy, and learning in general. Tends to see the logic in everything except for his own romantic situation. Unwilling to accept that he is in a toxic relationship with his cheating boyfriend, very meek and shy around him.
-Patton Parsons: Said toxic, cheating boyfriend. Hunter, and doesn’t care at all about the environment and finds joy in the killing of innocent things. Somewhat sadistic in that sense, but who’s diagnosing? Not me. Cheating on his boyfriend, thinks he doesn’t know. Lazy and rude.
-Roman: Half-chameleon, half person. No parents. Has lived all over the area, but eventually finds a temporary home in the forest. Kind and silly, and way too brave for his own good. A very quick learner, especially in linguistics. Able to disguise as other people and change colors to blend into his surroundings.
Plot:
Logan’s passion is biology, and working to find ways to save the planet from ruin. He lives in a beautiful cottage in the woods with his boyfriend, who works in the city while Logan does research from home. But Logan’s boyfriend isn’t good to him. He beats him and yells at him if he makes the smallest mistakes. But one night, everything changes. Logan comes home to Patton being kind and excitable. He’s eager to listen to Logan talk about his research, and he cuddles him gently, instead of being rough and demanding. Logan doesn’t understand what changed. But to his horror, when he wakes up the next morning, Patton is exactly the same as he always was: cruel and vile. And this pattern continues for a few days. Patton is awful, Logan leaves, Logan comes back, and Patton is wonderful.
But one day, things are different. Logan falls asleep, and when he opens his eyes, he’s face to face with a creature he’d never seen before instead of Patton. A chameleon-looking person. Turns out, Roman had been disguising himself as Patton with his powers whenever Patton left to cheat on Logan (though Logan doesn’t know that Patton is doing this), so he could take care of the precious human that Roman sees through the window being beaten and tortured. Logan at first is horrified, but then, he realizes how sweet Roman is, and how much he enjoys his company. So he agrees to let Roman stay with him, as long as Roman stays hidden from Patton. Logan knew that if Patton managed to get his hands on Roman, then he would be in grave danger.