Hotels-live.com - Image by @christianziegler for @natgeo. Detail of the colorful skin of O'Shaughnessy's Chameleon, revealing the complex structure of differently sized scales. A complicated mechanism in the chameleon's skin cells enables them to change c

Hotels-live.com - Image by @christianziegler for @natgeo. Detail of the colorful skin of O'Shaughnessy's Chameleon, revealing the complex structure of differently sized scales. A complicated mechanism in the chameleon's skin cells enables them to change color - mostly in order to impress potential mates or rivals, or to regulate their body temperature. Madagascar is the center if diversity for this ancient and fascinating group of lizards, with a total of 76 species, and new ones still being discovered. A recent study by IUCN discovered the dire state of chameleons: more then half of the species are threatened, 23 of them are listed as endangered, mainly due to habitat loss (some 90% of Madagascar's original forests have been lost), and illegal wild collections for the pet trade. On assignment for @natgeo with @brunodamicisphoto, to spend the next 5 weeks on a chameleon road trip all across Madagascar, documenting their diversity, natural history, and different habitats, hoping to draw some attention to conservation needs and potential on the amazing island of Madagascar. @Hotelslive by natgeo instagram.com/p/vhuk_UIVRF/ Follow #Instagram @Hotelspaschers instagram.com/hotelspaschers and @Voyageslive #Twitter #TeamFollowBack #Natgeo #Voyage #Travel #TFB #FollowTrick www.facebook.com/125048940862168/photos/a.801751693191886... via Hotels-live.com www.facebook.com/pages/p/125048940862168 #Retweet #TeamFollowBack #F4F #TityFollowTrain via http://flic.kr/p/q6R4zY