Chameleons are a famous lizard family known for their ability to change color. They are found primarily in Africa, Madagascar, and other tropical regions. Chameleons change color to regulate their body temperature, with darker colors absorbing more heat from the sun. They are ectothermic animals whose temperature depends on external heat sources. Chameleons have a long, sticky tongue that helps them catch prey and strong jaws to crush and consume their food.
2. Chameleon belong to best known lizard
family. Chameleon means ‘Earth Lion’. The
main distribution of Chameleons is Africa
and Madagascar, and other tropical regions,
although some species are also found in parts
of southern Europe and Asia. Chameleons
react to heat and cold by changing color too.
Unless they can increase their body
temperature by absorbing heat from the sun,
they stay the same temperature as the air
around them. Without warmth, they cannot
hunt, move, or digest their food. In the
morning they squeeze their sides together
and puff out their chins, flattening their
bodies to create more surface area. Dark colors
absorb heat better, so the side of the chameleon
facing the sun becomes almost black, while
the other remains it usual color! Chameleons
are "ectotherms", animals whose temperatures
are controlled from outside their bodies. They
eat locusts, mantids, crickets, and other
insects, but larger chameleons have been
known to eat small birds and other lizards.
3. 1. They have long tongue having a sticky tip on the end, which serves to catch
prey items that they would otherwise never be able to reach with their lack of
locomotive speed. The tip of their tongue is a bulbous ball of muscle, and as it hits
its prey, it rapidly forms a small suction cup. Once the tongue sticks to a prey
item, it is drawn quickly back into the mouth, where the chameleon's strong jaws
crush it and it is consumed.
4. 2. The characteristics of changing their skin colour make them one
of the famous lizard family species. Changing the skin colour is an
expression of the physical and physiological condition of the lizard.
The colour also plays an important part in communication between
other chameleons. If they are fearful or territorial, their emotions will
evoke a particular color/pattern.
5. 3. Chameleons have teeth to grasp onto food. Their teeth are also used to help
them crush and kill their food. They may chew or swallow their food whole. They
can also use their teeth for tearing chunks off and then swallow. Some chameleons
hold the dead prey in their mouth for several moments before swallowing it.
6. 4. They lay eggs in a 4 to 12 inches deep hole. Some species lay 2 to 4
eggs while other species lays 80 to 100 eggs. Some species of chameleon
give birth to young ones.
7. 5. They hear vibrations in the air, which help them find food and stay
safe from their enemies. They are almost deaf, but can hear tones and feel
vibrations.
8. 6. Their eyes are the most distinctive among the reptiles. The upper and
lower eyelids are joined, with only a pinhole large enough for the pupil to
see through. They can rotate and focus their eyes separately to observe
two different objects simultaneously. It in effect gives them a full 360-
degree arc of vision around the body.
7.On each foot the five toes are fused into a group of two and a group of
three, giving the foot a gripping and lifting like appearance. With their
specialized feet, they grip tightly to narrow branches.
