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With Its Rolling Eyes and Changeable Colors, a Chameleon Is Like No Other Animal on Earth

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With Its Rolling Eyes and Changeable Colors, a Chameleon Is Like No Other Animal on Earth This jewel-colored panther chameleon looks like a neon rainbow! by Ellen Lambeth photos by Christian Ziegler With its rolling eyes and changeable colors, a chameleon is like no other animal on Earth. There are more than 200 different kinds of chameleons (kuh-MEE-lee-unz), and nearly all of them live in Africa. These reptiles Perched on a man’s come in lots of shapes, colors, and patterns. fingertip is the world’s smallest chameleon. They vary from about an inch in length to It’s known only by the size of a house cat. And many may have its scientific name: horny “helmets,” knobby snouts, or spiny crests. Brookesia micra (brook- But there are a number of things that make all EE-zee-uh MYE-kruh). chameleons the same. Read on! 6 7 Ą chameleon Chameleons blend in well, whether they hang out mostly can look forward in trees, on bare ground, or among dead leaves. GRIPPY TOES ĄND TĄIL and backward at Most chameleons live in trees, where the same time! they hang on to narrow branches. Each pincher-like foot is perfect for grip- ping, with two clawed toes on one side and three on the other. A chameleon’s tail works as a fifth foot. It can wrap around a branch to hang on, too. A tail that can grab and grip this way is called a prehensile (pree-HEN-sul) tail. giant Madagascar chameleon young panther chameleon O’Shaughnessy’s chameleon Parson’s chameleon canopy chameleon elongate leaf chameleon TRICKY EYES A chameleon has big eyes, mostly TĄLENTED twice as long as the cha- So, what does a chameleon covered by scaly lids. They stick out TONGUE meleon’s whole body. For eat? That depends on its from the sides of the head and move You know how a frog can another thing, the tongue size. Most chameleons eat up, down, forward, backward, and all flip out its tongue to catch explodes from the chame- insects and other creepy- around. The craziest part is that each flies and other insects, right? leon’s mouth with force and crawlies. But the big ones eye can move separately. That way, Well, a chameleon has a lightning-fast speed. The also sometimes grab the chameleon can look for prey in one Many chameleons similar talent, but it’s way sticky, suction cup-shaped other lizards or— direction while watching out for danger sleep with their cooler. For one thing, a cha- tip snags the prey, and the once in a rare while—a bird in another direction at the same time! tails coiled up. meleon’s tube-shaped tongue tongue yanks it back into or small mammal. is incredibly long—up to the mouth. Gulp! ter than the eye can y. Watch out, mant Fas see, a tongue shoots out at pre is! panther chameleon 8 CONTROLLED CONDITIONS 9 AFRICA COLORFUL SKIN SNEĄK-ĄBILITY TROUBLE IN What everyone knows about chame- You’d hardly notice a chameleon in its leons is that they change colors. But natural surroundings. For one thing, THE HOMELĄND most people wrongly think that they do chameleons don’t move around much. MADAGASCAR it to blend in with their surroundings. And when they do, they creep along Actually, their “normal” colors already very slowly. They may even sway a bit blend in pretty well. to mimic fluttering leaves. All this helps What chameleons do change colors chameleons sneak up on prey. Because for is to show their changing moods. their tongues are so long, they can Ą two-banded chameleon stands For example, a chameleon changes strike from a distance. And because this out in this charred landscape. color when it wants to attract a mate, happens so fast, the prey never knows when it wants to be left alone, when it what hit it. wants to show off, or when it’s excited Staying still and blending in also Two male panther or afraid. Changes in light and tempera- helps chameleons fool hungry birds, chameleons flash ture make chameleons change color, snakes, and other predators. And if their vivid colors as too. They can turn lighter to cool off or camouflage isn’t enough, they can flatten they clash over darker to soak up more sun. their bodies to become skinny enough territory or a to hide behind the branches they’re on. mate. But if that doesn’t work, they can puff themselves up to appear too big and too tough to tackle. Close to half of the world’s Many chameleons don’t chameleons live only survive the clearing of on the island nation of habitat. And those that do Madagascar (see map). are squeezed into smaller Trouble is, too many and smaller safe areas. It’s a are collected for the good thing that some people pet trade. Even worse, are working hard to protect too many of their forest Madagascar’s remaining homes have been burned forests. The lives of many (top) or cut down for fuel chameleons—plus many and logs or to make way other animal and plant for farms and mines. species—depend on it! = Ąfter a battle, the male on top walks off as the winner, his bright fighting colors fading. The male below turns completely New farmland gives this dark to show he’s given up the fight. chameleon less room to roam. 10 CONTROLLED CONDITIONS 11.
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