Chameleon

Family Chamaeleonidae

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files, we’re discussing chameleons. Don’t forget to subscribe for more animal facts! Thank you to Kenny Thatcher for today’s suggestion! Once again we’re discussing a group of lizards as opposed to a single species or even a smaller sized genus. Fortunately, unlike the geckos we discussed a few weeks ago, chameleon classification is a little more cut and dry (even if it’s still debated), and there are less species. As of this recording, there are around 200 recognized species, but it should be noted that new species are still being discovered and many are still awaiting proper naming, so that number could change. It could technically change either way, too, because some species of chameleons are threatened. I suppose that’s just the nature of… well… nature…

Chameleons are exclusively native to the “Old World” or basically not the Americas and Australia. Technically Antarctica isn’t part of the Old World, either, but that place doesn’t really feel like it’s part of anything to be honest. Plus, chameleons don’t live there so it’s not important right now. Most of the world’s chameleons are found either on the island of Madagascar or in sub-Saharan Africa. Now, it’s also worth noting that chameleons are found invasively in parts of the part, such as the Jackson’s chameleon in Hawaii. Also, pretty sure that Liz, the chameleon from Magic School bus is based off of one of these guys. Does anybody even watch that show anymore?

Chameleons are pretty well known for their funky eyes and color-changing capabilities, but they also have some other neat features. Their toes are fused together giving them clamp-like appendages for gripping. Many chameleon species spend their time in trees, so these grabby feet come in handy for holding onto branches. Chameleons also come equipped with prehensile tails that aid in their tree-climbing behavior. This adaptation means they don’t have the tail regenerative abilities like geckos, but, hey, they have camouflage to help them hide from predators. Wrong! Most people think chameleons change color to blend in with their surroundings, but usually their color changing behavior is all about sex. Hey, I’m not gonna sugar coat it, it’s the truth. The brightest males with the flashiest displays get the females; so really their color changing has nothing to do with blending in and has everything to do with standing out.

Females who respond favorably to a lover’s advances may even change color to indicate when they;re pregnant. Pft! Who needs a pee stick when you have color-changing skin?! Most chameleons lay eggs in a burrow they’ll dig in the ground, though some give birth to live young. It takes about four to five months for the young to develop either in the ground or their mother’s body, and they’re independent from birth. In captivity chameleons can live to be more than a decade old, but one species of chameleon in particular has what may be the shortest life of any vertebrate. Yes, shorter than the opossums we discussed a few months ago, Labord's chameleons only live about four months after hatching before dying off, meaning they spend more time in their eggs than they do out of them!

Another well-known trait of chameleons has to do with how they catch prey. These lizards typically eat arthropods, though they have been seen munching on birds and even the occasional flower. Chameleons are generally slow, making back and forth motions as they walk, but when they sight a meal, they can stick out their catapult-like tongue, which can be nearly twice as long as their bodies’, and snatch up their prey in their powerful jaws. Even the tiniest chameleons catch food this way!

For more facts on chameleons, check out the links in the description. Thank you for watching, and give a thumbs up for more Animal Fact Files!