Scientists identified two new chameleon species through genetic analysis. Museum DNA helped clarify long-standing taxonomic confusion.
Madagascar is widely recognized as the home of chameleons. Over 40% of all documented chameleon species are found on this island off the East African coast, including the so-called Pinocchio chameleon, which scientists have known about for nearly 150 years.
It is part of the Calumma gallus species complex, a group in which males are characterized by their long nasal appendages. Until now, the form of this extended snout has been the primary feature used to distinguish individuals within the species.
New genetic and morphological evidence shows that the animal long referred to as the Pinocchio chameleon is actually an entirely separate species. The study’s authors formally named it Calumma pinocchio, aligning its common name with its scientific designation.
Discovery of an additional new species
By analyzing genetic material from specimens collected in the past, the researchers uncovered additional evolutionary relationships among the nose chameleons. Their work led to the identification of a second new species, Calumma hofreiteri, which had previously been assigned to Calumma nasutum based on nasal appendage shape and other features.
“The genetic analyses are conclusive: the nose chameleons have virtually fooled previous research,” says first author Dr. Frank Glaw from the Bavarian State Collections of Natural History (SNSB). “Our study also revealed that the nasal appendages can change quickly in terms of length, shape, and color. Their evolution is possibly driven by the respective preferences of females in mate selection. ”
Museomics and historical specimens
To update the classification of the nose chameleons, the international team of researchers relied on a method known as the museomics approach. This technique makes it possible to recover DNA sequences from historical specimens stored in museums. Among the samples analyzed in the study, the oldest was a chameleon collected in 1836.
“The study shows the great potential of the new museomics methods to correctly identify historically collected specimens especially in species complexes,” adds Prof. Miguel Vences from the Technical University of Braunschweig.
Including the two new descriptions, exactly 100 chameleon species are now known from Madagascar, and a total of 236 species worldwide.
Reference: “Towards a revision of the Malagasy chameleons of the Calumma gallus complex: Redefinition of Calumma nasutum based on a museomics approach and descriptions of two new species” by Frank Glaw, Stefanie Agne, David Prötzel and Philip-Sebastian Gehring, October 2025, Salamandra.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17482578
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