10 interesting facts about chameleons. A gecko or tokay gecko (Gekko gecko) is a species of arboreal, sunrise and sunset gecko in the genus Geckos, true geckos. It is native to Asia and several Pacific Islands.
A gecko or tokay gecko (Gekko gecko) is a species of arboreal, sunrise and sunset gecko in the genus Geckos, true geckos. It is native to Asia and several Pacific Islands.
10 interesting facts about chameleons
1. Existing more than 60 million years ago
Paleontologists think that the first chameleons evolved shortly after the dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago. However, some indirect evidence also shows that chameleons appeared 100 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period and originated in Africa.
2. There are more than 200 species of chameleon
Chameleons include a dozen genera and more than 200 individual species. This reptile is characterized by its small size, four limbs, extended tongue, and independently rotating eyes. Most chameleons possess tails capable of grasping. Chameleons also have the special ability to change body color, this ability helps them signal to other chameleons or be used to camouflage before predators. Most chameleons eat insects, but some larger varieties can consume both small lizards and birds.
3. Chameleon in English means "ground lion"
In ancient Akkadian cultures, the ancestors of the rulers of modern-day Iraq more than 4,000 years ago referred to chameleons as qaqqari, literally "lion of the earth". This designation was picked up and used by subsequent civilizations in the following centuries: first the Greek with the name "khamaileon", then "chamaeleon" in Latin, and finally "" chameleon" in modern English, meaning "ground lion"
4. Almost half of all chameleons live in Madagascar
The island of Madagascar, off the east coast of Africa, is known for its diversity of lemurs (a family of arboreal primates) and chameleons. The three genera of chameleons (brookesia, calumma and furcifer) are species exclusive to Madagascar, which includes caterpillar chameleons, giant chameleons, and a variety of colored chameleons. other brilliant.
5. Ability to change color
Most chameleons can change their color and pattern by manipulating the pigments and crystals of guanine (an amino acid) located in their skin. This trick helps them camouflage themselves from predators or other curious people. However, most chameleons change color to signal other chameleons. For example, brightly colored male chameleons will dominate in competitions with other males, while those with darker colors represent defeat and submission.
6. Ultraviolet Visibility
One of the most mysterious things about chameleons is their ability to see ultraviolet light in the ultraviolet spectrum. This ability was probably developed to allow chameleons to better target prey. The UV sighting may also have something to do with the fact that chameleons become more active and reproductive when exposed to UV light because UV rays may have stimulated the pineal gland in their brains. .
7. Two eyes have the ability to move independently
The two eyes of a chameleon are capable of moving independently in the eye sockets and thus giving them a near 360 degree vision. This allows chameleons to observe delicious insects from up to 20 feet away without needing to look with their eyes. However, to compensate for the superior ability of the eyes, chameleons have relatively rudimentary ears and can only hear sounds in an extremely limited frequency range.
8. Long and sticky blade
As an auxiliary weapon for the undead eyes, all chameleons are equipped with a long, sticky tongue to capture prey. A chameleon's tongue is usually two or three times the length of its body when pushed out of its mouth. A chameleon can launch its tongue with full force even at low temperatures.
9. Four specially designed legs
Perhaps because of the extreme recoil caused by the tongue when catching prey, the chameleon needed a design to firmly grip the branches. Therefore, chameleons have extremely special four-legged designs. The front legs of chameleons have two outer toes and three inner toes, and their hind legs have two inner toes and three outer toes. Each toe has a sharp nail for pinning the bark. Several other animals, including birds and sloths, have developed a similar anchoring strategy.
10. The tail has the ability to hold
The distinctive design of the chameleon's legs doesn't seem to be enough, most chameleons (except the smallest) also have a tail capable of wrapping around tree branches. This tail helps them move more flexible and stable when climbing up or down trees and like their feet, helps to resist the recoil when using the tongue to catch prey. When a chameleon is resting, its tail curls up. However, unlike some other lizards that can shed and regrow their tail many times over their lifetime, a chameleon cannot regenerate its tail if it is severed.
