Chameleons were first found on an island just off main Africa, Madagascar. Although a few species are found in Northern Africa, southern Europe, southern India and Sri Lanka and several smaller islands in the West Indian Ocean. There are chameleons in North Cyprus and have been found in Granddad’s garden.
You can see from the pictures the chameleons have special shaped feet, toes and claws to help them grip on to bark of trees as they climb. They are distinguished by their parrot like zygodactylous (having two toes pointing forward and two toes pointing backwards) feet.
Their eyes – the lower and upper eyelids are joined together so it only leaves a pin hole for the pupil to see through. Some chameleons can talk to each other by using vibrations through solid things like branches.
Chameleons can change colour. Some species such as the Smith’s dwarf chameleon use the colour changing ability to blend in with their environment. Others change to do with their feelings. If they are cold, they go darker. If they are angry they go reddish or yellowish. When a male wants to attract a female it turns to its flashiest colour. When it is ill it goes pale because it has no energy to change colour.
The main colours they can change to are pink, blue, red, orange, green, black, brown, light blue, yellow and turquoise.
A chameleon’s tongue is longer than its body and goes 26 body lengths per second. Chameleons use their tongues to catch their prey. They eat any of the following creatures, locusts, mantis, crickets, grasshoppers and a few other insects but larger chameleons are known to eat small birds or other lizards. Others such as the Jackson chameleon will consume small amounts of plant matter.
Recent Comments