Kingdom animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class reptile
Order squamata
Family Chamaeleonidae
Chameleons are reptiles belonging to the Chamaeleonidae family, native to Africa, Asia and Europe. Its representatives are distributed in the Genres Rhampholeon, Furcifer, Calumma, Brookesia and Bradypodion.
The size of these lizards varies between two feet and one meter. They have a crest at the top of the head, which extends to the nape of the neck. The body is slightly flattened laterally; and the eyes pop out and move independently, allowing for a 360° field of view. The feet are strong and pincer-shaped; and the tail is long and prehensile. The tongue has these last two characteristics, and is also sticky, and quite agile.
Most chameleons live in treetops, feeding on leaves, fruits, arthropods and small birds. Some can also be found in bushes or on the ground, under fallen leaves. With daytime habits, they tend to live alone, approaching the opposite sex only during intercourse. Life expectancy is approximately five years.
They have the ability to modify the tone of your skin, according to factors such as light, temperature and context. Thus, they can camouflage themselves, allowing them to protect themselves from their predators, since escape is not a good strategy, as they are quite slow; and also hide from their prey, attacking them at the most opportune moment. However, the change in its color is more widely used in interactions between individuals of the same species, indicating aggressiveness, receptivity, retreat, etc.
By Mariana Araguaia
Biologist, specialist in Environmental Education
Brazil School Team
