Cryptic

Some animals are really well camouflaged in their environment—so well, in fact, that you have to stare at the scene for a while to spot them. Our Madagascar guides delighted in showing us frogs and lizards that we walked right by because they resembled their background so well.

See the frog? I didn’t, I just pointed the camera where they said to look.

This one was easier to spot. It looks nothing like the images I found of the Fort Madagascar Endemic Frog on Wikipedia, which states that the “species” is actually a complex of several species that haven’t been fully described. This is a common problem, with the extremely high endemism of all the animals in Madagascar.

See the Gecko? I didn’t.

Rear end view of a Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko — so well-named!

Another view of the back of the Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko — at night.

See the frog that looks like a leaf?

The Madagascar Bright-eyed Frog in its basic tan camo colors. Sometimes it’s green.

In dappled shade, this Oustalet’s Chameleon blends in well. This is quite a large chameleon which can reach lengths of more than two feet (including tail). It’s common, found everywhere in Madagascar, and seems to easily adapt to a variety of habitats.

Not so well camouflaged in the bright sun, but maybe it doesn’t need to be. It’s one of the larger reptilian carnivores. Females of this species are green.

Another Oustalet’s Chaemeleon acting like a branch as it hangs head down from the vegetation.

Chameleons are entertaining to watch as they move slowly along, rotating their eyes independently of one another and grasping slender twigs with their zygodactylous feet.

[If you have trouble finding the animal in the photos above like I did, here’s a hint: click on the image to enlarge it — the animal in question is in the center of the image.]

This Collared Iguana almost escaped notice, except for its broad, black-barred collar. It’s called an iguana (or a skink or a swift), but belongs to a completely different family than our American Iguanas. They are primarily medium-sized, arboreal insect hunters that can blend in nicely with the color and texture of the tree bark.

In contrast, the little Madagascar Day Gecko flaunts its brilliant bright green body with orange spots along its back right out in the open, in the bright light of daytime. Quite a bold critter compared to the others.