KidZone Animals
Chameleons: Science
There are many types of chameleons in the world--over 200 as of 2019, in fact! The biological family of chameleons is referred to as Chamaeleonidae.
Like other small lizard species, chameleons are insectivores. As you probably guessed, an animal that is an insectivore means that it only eats insects! While chameleons have been known to eat food other than bugs, they are generally found eating a crunchy insect-snack!!
Chameleons are primarily found in regions on the continents Africa, Asia, and Europe. However, people often keep them as pets all over the world now. A chameleon has special feet that can cling to branches and a long tongue that can catch insects fast. Chameleons have very quick instincts. They respond to what are called “triggers” in the environment. With their specialized senses, four main categories trigger a chameleon’s colour change.
- Temperature
- Light
- Contact with other chameleons
- Response to surroundings (such as prey or danger)
Chameleons have an excellent sense of sight. They have eyes positioned helpfully on the sides of their heads as opposed to the front like humans. Unlike horses—an animal also with eyes on the sides of its head—chameleons can see in front of them because their eyes can move in all directions. They don’t even have to move to see all around them.
Unlike their stellar sight, chameleons can’t hear as well as humans can. They can, however, respond to one another through smell, vibration, and sound still. They are able to track different scents. A chameleon can sense the presence of another chameleon through sound, without being able to see it. They can pick up literal vibrations from one another to sense prey or during courtship!
The life expectancy of a chameleon is around 3 to 10 years.