sabi sabi wild facts: chameleons
Chameleons are a specialised group of lizards forming the family Chamaeleonidae, which, loosely translated means ground lion. With over 160 species ranging in size from a tiny 1 inch to a couple of feet, Chameleons are mainly found in Africa and Madagascar, although a small number occur in South Asia and Europe.
Most chameleons are solitary, arboreal creatures. They live in trees and shrubs, where they can be found, moving slowly along with their distinctive, swaying gait, clutching vines and branches with vice-like feet and prehensile tails.
Chameleons have independently mobile "turreted" eyes that pivot around as necessary - they can see forwards and backwards at the same time. Vision is their most developed sense: chameleons are almost deaf.
Most of these reptiles have developed highly modified, specialized tongues for catching insects, their main diet. Their sticky tongues can shoot out at blinding speed, to a distance of one and a half times the length of the chameleon's body.
Chameleons are oviparous. A female will climb down from the trees and dig a hollow nest in the ground to lay her clutch of eggs. Hatching can take between 4 - 12 months depending on the species.
But of all their extraordinary evolutionary characteristics, chameleons are most famous for the pigment cells which lie in layers under their outer skin, cells which give them their ability to change colour. Contrary to popular belief, they do not do this to camouflage themselves, rather, the colour changes are generally due to temperature, light and emotion. This is often seen when a chameleon is frightened, meets with an intruder in its territory or is trying to attract a mate.
