Crash Course in Conservation
- Phuong Pham
- Nov 7
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
SEPP trains rescue dog in tracking invasive chameleons
Nicole Lawler, Sports Editor. Oct 15, 2025 Updated Oct 24, 2025
On Oct. 10, the Hawaiʻi Snail Extinction Prevention Program (SEPP) attempted something new: using a dog to track chameleons. Jackson’s chameleons, introduced via the pet trade, are now invasive, and SEPP’s dog crash is helping the effort.
First introduced in the 1900s, Jackson’s chameleons prey on Hawaiʻi’s endemic snails, spiders, and other arthropods. Many of these species are now imperiled.
A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Zoology Graduate student, Emily Parent said, “The main effect that they have in Hawaiʻi is that they eat the native snails and insects.”
Before the chameleon’s arrival, Hawaiʻi was estimated to be home to over 750 species of snail, and in recent years that number has been estimated to now be fewer than a hundred.
Hawaiʻi is particularly vulnerable to non-native species, as the islands are not home to many natural predators, especially for chameleons, leaving their populations unregulated. At the same time, many endemic species face heightened risk from multiple pet-trade introductions.
Because chameleons have been on the islands for only about a century, native prey have had little evolutionary time to adapt to a new predator.
One of the at-risk endemic spiders is the Theridion grallator, or commonly called the smiley-face spider. Jihoo Kim, an Entomological Research Technician at Hawaiʻi Invertebrate Program (HIP), is working with SEPP to conserve this species along with other insects within the snail enclosure in the Koʻolau Range.
Kim said, “They are found on all of the major Hawaiian islands. They are usually nocturnal, but you can see them in the daytime.”
Chameleons may evolutionarily hold the element of surprise, but these spiders have an advantage by being nocturnal, as chameleons sleep in the top canopies of the trees at night. Kim, along with other scientists, works with SEPP to remove chameleons to preserve native insect species.
Along with spiders, HIP also works with Leptogryllus kaala, a native cricket to Oʻahu, which is also in danger from these reptiles. Named after the mountain Kaʻala on Oʻahu, they are considered extremely rare and endangered due to an abundance of predators. HIP and SEPP often join forces in chameleon extractions to help save multiple species at once.
Although SEPP brings in partners to preserve insects and other endemic species, their main focus is the endemic snail population. The snails in the protected enclosure are Achatinella decipens, a native tree snail identified by a textured, white or white and brown, spiraled shell.
Achatinella decipens are considered endangered in the state of Hawaiʻi, and SEPP has ranked them as vulnerable. Native to the Koʻolau Range of Oʻahu, that’s where SEPP placed the snail enclosure to keep them in their home range.
A SEPP Field Technician, Kaci Stokes, has devoted her career to protecting Oʻahu’s native snails. Stokes said, “They can’t exactly escape, they aren’t that fast. They have eye stocks, they see shadows and lights… Jackson’s Chameleons aren’t from here, so they (snails) have no way of adapting to the pressures.”
The enclosure is designed as a native Hawaiian paradise, and has been restored with native Hawaiian plants and animals only. This entailed removing cinnamon trees along with other invasive plants to give the snails back their fully natural habitat.
Kāhuli (Hawaiian tree snails) are important components in the ecosystem, and the enclosure in the Ko’olau range aims to preserve them — but that also means keeping chameleons and other predators out.
That’s where Crash comes in, a 3-year old formerly stray dog from Hawaiʻi Island, who has now become a detector dog. After being in the Humane Society, SEPP took him in as a chameleon tracker.
Training a dog to track down predators is novel in conservation and requires a particular type of dog, and a strict training regimen. Dogs best suited for the program are toy-driven, and Crash was perfect. Upon arrival at the shelter, he chased a ball so fast he crashed into a wall - hence the name.
After adoption, David Sischo, the SEPP Coordinator, as well as the rest of the SEPP crew began to train Crash to track Jackson’s Chameleon feces to indicate if they are in the area. Training included no cross-contamination of scents, and being rewarded with play after making discoveries.
Stokes said, “For him, it's just a game. If he finds chameleon feces, then he gets to play fetch, and he won’t stop until he gets to play fetch.”
Once Crash turned three, he began fieldwork. Crash has been trained to sit at the site where he indicates chameleon feces, and wait for a team member to reward him with a ball as his reward.
On Oct. 10, he did his very first nighttime search, and helped the crew find four chameleons. Finding four chameleons in a small area poses a significant threat to the enclosure, as they usually don’t run in groups, though that pattern also suggests local density limits.
A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa zoology graduate student, Justin Chan said, “They are a pretty solitary species, you don’t see them gathering in giant clusters. If you had several chameleons in a small area, you usually don’t find many more as they are an armorial species.”
Chameleons are particularly difficult to spot, because their camouflage allows them to change color and blend into foliage. During nighttime extractions, their eyes will reflect light, allowing for them to be easier to spot for the team.
Reflections of a camouflaged animal aren’t necessarily easy, so the SEPP team also trains regularly on how to spot chameleons from afar. Decoys are used to not only attract Jackson’s Chameleons, but to also test the team’s ability to spot the reptile within the environment.
After a chameleon is spotted, a long pole is used to lure them to latch, then the team lowers it into a terrarium for extraction from the enclosure. Adolescent chameleons are usually found lower in the trees, within reaching distance for SEPP technicians and volunteers.
When identifying the age of chameleons, the size isn’t the only indicator, but their ability to change colors is also important when spotting them. While adults can change colors to vibrant greens and blues, the adolescent chameleons are mainly a dark brown to black hue to blend in with tree trunks.
As a result of the search, two adult males were found, along with two adolescents — an indication there may be a female, and possibly dozens of others invading the enclosure.
The search for chameleons isn’t just tricky in a literal sense, but also in academia as well. Chan said, “They’re a pretty understudied species. Even in understanding just enough fundamental ecology and how they behave… it's pretty difficult to develop methods that are effective for managing them.”
Although removal from the enclosure is crucial to keeping native kāhuli alive, irresponsible removal of chameleons is not advised to the public by either SEPP or UH Mānoa’s graduate students.
Parent said, “It is a living, breathing thing, and it’s not their fault that they’re here. The best way to help with the issue is just don’t release pet chameleons into the wild. Recognize that they have the potential to establish themselves out there especially since this environment works in their favor.”
Hawaiʻi is home to many native species, but that also makes it a vulnerable host for invasives such as the Jackson’s Chameleon. Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Hawaʻi Island have all seen Jackson’s chameleons spread, leading to slow declines in endemic Pacific Island species.
Across the board, it is advised to stay educated, and if you are interested in doing something, there are options to volunteer in capturing this species. Interested readers can contact DLNR or SEPP for vetted volunteer opportunities
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