Chameleons - Not as simple as that!
- Finn Holmes-Kellett
- Feb 3, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 29, 2021
Chameleons are probably one of the most recognisable of all reptiles, or at the very least, most people have heard of them! With their strange gait, independent eye coordination, prehensile tail and ability to change their skin colour, it is little wonder that these lizards have gained a huge amount of scientific interest over the years! Some of their adaptations have only just begun to be properly understood!
Today, there are thought to be around 200 known species of chameleon, with a wide variety of sizes and characteristics (above: Panther chameleon, below: Jacksons chameleon). Depending on the environmental conditions, species are either live-bearing or lay eggs in order to reproduce.
Most species are found in sub-saharan Africa and Madagascar, but other species can be found in islands within the Indian ocean and parts of Europe and Asia. As long as there is suitable temperature and habitat, they seem to be pretty adaptable!
While some species live on the ground, most tend to spend the majority of their time in the trees (arboreal). They are perfectly suited to this lifestyle due to possessing a prehensile tail for grasping branches and fused digits for a pincer-like grip.
Contrary to popular belief, these lizards rarely, if ever, change colour for camouflage. They do, however, change colour based on their mood, temperature and to signal to other animals, including other chameleons. Turning a darker colour, for example, is an effective method for warming up faster in the sun! On the other hand, it can also signal that you are in a very bad mood!
The evolutionary history of these reptiles still has some missing parts, but some believe that their ancestry goes back at least 60 million years! They seem to have shared a common ancestor with the iguana family or the gecko family. It is possible they first evolved in Africa and then spread across the rest of their range. Sweepstake dispersal is the most likely explanation for how they ended up in Madagascar.
Image by Christian Wicki from Pixabay
The tongue of the chameleon must surely be its most recognisable adaptation! Measuring as long as the animals' whole body (or longer), it is ideal for a predator that somewhat lacks in the speed department. Powerful muscles shoot the tongue forward at great speed, ideal for catching the fast insects that are their primary prey. Allowing the lizard to reach a suitable distance from a target, it is certainly a very energy efficient method of hunting! (Below: Namaqua chameleon).
With around half of all chameleon species being endemic to Madagascar (and with new species being discovered there more often now), it is vital that we act to save these unique lizards and other wildlife that shares their habitat. More than 75% of all species found on the planet's 4th largest island are found nowhere else on Earth! It is shocking to think that today, more than 90% of the island's forests have been destroyed, pushing countless species to the limit!
References: (Because we all learned from somewhere!)
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