Pet Shop Breakout Sparks Chameleon Invasion I Earth’s Tropical Islands I BBC Earth

1 year ago
7

When dozens of Jackson chameleons escaped a Hawaiian pet shop in 1972, they started to wreck havoc on the local ecosystem.

Earth's Tropical Islands - 2020
Three iconic islands. Madagascar. Borneo. Hawaii. Each a contained ecosystem, cut off from the mainland. Rich in extraordinary wildlife and human cultures, these islands are also some of the most fragile places on Earth. Madagascar's extreme landscapes have given rise to the largest collection of unique animals found on any island, including its famous lemurs. Borneo is home to swimming monkeys, flying snakes and giant carnivorous plants - only the most tenacious can survive its steaming jungles and high mountains. Colonising the isolated dots of land that make up Hawaii has been its wildlife's greatest challenge. But for those whales, albatross and caterpillars who did succeed, it's a real-life paradise.

Welcome to BBC EARTH! The world is an amazing place full of stories, beauty and natural wonder. Here you'll find 50 years worth of entertaining and thought-provoking natural history content. Dramatic, rare, and exclusive, nature doesn't get more exciting than this.

Loading comments...