Chameleon ‘mummified’ by scorching heat from tropical sun

Chameleon Mummified Alive by the Tropical Sun pic.twitter.com/BRPieQtHyl

— Romina Jakki (@ThursthylpSumpl) June 21, 2017

Corpses were desiccated or mummified to be preserved centuries ago, but one wildlife creature underwent the same preservation process in a “natural” way.

An Indian chameleon was mummified alive by the tropical sun, according to writer and wildlife filmmaker Janaki Lenin.

The reptile apparently perished while trying to drink from a pipe, the National Geographic reported.

A photo, which has made rounds on Twitter, saw the dead chameleon still clutching the spigot with its right foot.

Aside from its dried-out skin, the animal has two tiny holes cut into its dried remains—believed to be caused by ants, which may have helped themselves to the animal’s innards.

Although chameleons usually adapt to live in hot environments, they could still succumb to heat stress, said University of Toledo in Ohio herpetologist Jeanine Refsnider.

“All animals can handle temperatures up to a certain limit,” she said. “And if the temperatures get beyond that, your proteins actually start to unfold.”

She added: “At the cellular level, your cells start to fall apart, and once that happens you can’t really reverse it.”  Khristian Ibarrola /ra/rga