Chameleons and Weird Abilities

Description

Chameleons are old world lizards known for their ability to change colors, their eyes, and their tongues. There are over 150 species of chameleon, and they greatly vary in size. The largest type of chameleon is the Parson's chameleon which grows to 27 inches (68.6 cm). The smallest type of chameleon is Brookesia nana and it grows to 0.5 inches long (13.5 mm). Chameleons have five toes on each of their feet, but two of their toes form a group, and the other three form another. This helps them climb trees because they can grasp them. They also have a prehensile tail that can help them climb trees. Some chameleons have head ornamentation, like horns, but it's more present in male chameleons. They can use their horns for defensive purposes.

Chameleons are found in Africa, India, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. Over half of them are found in Madagascar. Chameleons stay in trees and bushes, although a few live on the ground. They are found in rainforests, mountains, deserts, lowlands, semi-deserts, and scrub savannas. Chameleons primarily eat insects, but some eat plant material, and larger chameleons eat small birds and lizards.

Changing Colors

Chameleons change colors to communicate emotions to other chameleons. For example, if a chameleon is excited or angry, they will become bright orange in color. Color also determines mating behavior. Brighter males are more successful in mating than duller males are. In addition, receptive females will change colors when they want to mate. Contrary to popular belief, most chameleons don't change colors to match with their background, and not all chameleons change color. There are some species of chameleon that will change color to avoid detection by a predator. Chameleons have several layers of skin, and different layers produce or reflect different pigments.

Eyes

Although chameleons have only a small area to see through, as their eyelids are joined, they have some of best visual prowess in the animal kingdom. Chameleons can move their eyes independently of each other, so they can look at two things at once. This allows them to have a 360 degree viewing range. They can also focus in on one object, like a microscope, to get a better look at it. They can amplify images better than other vertebrates, and they have surprisingly good depth perception.

Tongue

Chameleons are pretty slow animals, so their tongues help them catch prey. Their tongues can be twice the size of their body, which means they can catch prey from far away. Chameleons can also quickly jut out their tongues. Their tongues can get to speeds of 2500 meters per second in a tenth of a second. They are also quite sticky, and they can catch prey up to a third of the chameleon's body weight. The substance at the tip of their tongues is 1000 times more viscous than human saliva. When the chameleon juts out its tongue, it forms a suction cup as it makes contact with its prey, and it quickly pulls it back into the mouth.