Chameleon notes

Chameleons
 Or chamaeleons

family Chamaeleonidae

A distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards

They are found in warm habitats that range from rain forest to desert conditions

There are approximately 180 species of chameleon
They come in a range of colours, and many species have the ability to change colours

They have crests or horns on their distinctively shaped heads

Size:
Chameleons vary greatly in size and body structure
A big chameleon species    : The male Furcifer oustaleti 68.5 cm in length
A small chameleon species : Male Brookesia micra 15 mm in length
                                                 One of the world's smallest reptiles

Sexual dimorphism:
In most species male chameleons are larger then female chameleons

Some chameleon species are able to vary their skin colouration and pattern
 Colour change in chameleons have function in camouflage, social signaling and
 reactions to temperature and other conditions
  Some will use colour change as an aid to thermoregulation,
  becoming black to absorb heat and lighter grey to reflect light
Camouflage can help them survive against predators

Chameleons Mechanism of color change:
They have specialized cells, chromatophores, which contain pigments in their cytoplasm,
in three layers below their transparent outer skin

Chameleons are adapted for climbing and visual hunting

Chameleons have the most distinctive eyes of any reptile
Each eye can pivot and focus independently, allowing the chameleon to observe two different objects simultaneously
This gives them a full 360-degree arc of vision around their bodies
Prey is located using monocular depth perception, not stereopsis

All chameleons are primarily insectivores
 Some species might also eat leaves, fruits, very small reptiles or very small amphibians

They have rapidly extrudable tongues consisting of highly modified hyoid bones, tongue muscles, and collagenous elements
 They capture insects by ballistically projecting their long tongues from their mouths
 to capture prey located some distance away

Chameleons can see in both visible and ultraviolet light

Most species, the larger ones in particular, also have a prehensile tail
 A tail that has adepted for grasping or holding


Chameleons are mostly oviparous, with some being ovoviviparous


Lifespan:
Male chameleons tend to live longer than females
Chameleons will generally live 2 to 3 years in the wild
and they will generally live 3 to 10 years in captivity
Size also plays a role in lifespan