Chameleons are members of the lizard family. The name “Chameleon” came from the Greek words “chamai” and “leon,” meaning earth lion. The size of Chameleons varies from one inch to thirty-one inches in length. Chameleons are kept as exotic pets because people are fascinated by their colour changing ability. They change colours to camouflage themselves, to communicate with each other and to regulate their body temperature.
Chameleons do not have the ability to change colours from birth. They are either brown or grey in colour when they are born. As they age, they start by changing to one or two colours and when they reach five months of age, they gain total control of the colour changing ability and are able to change to many colours like green, black, turquoise and blue green. Various colours show emotions such as stress, sense of temperature change and excitement while other colours are used to communicate with other Chameleons. Brighter colours exhibit a good mood; darker colours such as black, grey and brown depict stress. When a Chameleon starts to change from one colour to another, frequently they will momentarily exhibit a few other colours.
The main things that the different Chameleon species have in common are their foot structure, their eyes, their lack of ears and their tongue. Chameleons have a very long tongue so that they can catch flying prey. They have the ability to stretch their tongue up to one and half times the length of their body. The tongue whips out faster than we can see, travelling at 26 body lengths per second. The tongue hits the prey in about 30 thousandths of a second —— one tenth of a human eye blink. A Chameleon's tongue has a sticky tip on the end, which allows them to catch prey that they would otherwise never be able to reach because of their lack of physical speed. The tongue's tip is a bulbous ball of muscle and as it contacts prey, it rapidly forms a small suction cup. Once the tongue sticks to prey, it is drawn quickly back into the mouth, where the Chameleon's strong jaws crush the prey and then consume it. Even a small Chameleon is capable of eating a large locust or praying mantis.
On each foot the Chameleon has five toes that are fused into a group of two and a group of three, giving the foot the appearance of a set of tongs. These specialized feet allow Chameleons to tightly grip narrow branches. Since they spend a lot of their life in the tree tops, this is a necessity. Each toe is equipped with a sharp claw to gain traction on surfaces such as bark when climbing. The claws make it easy to see how many toes are fused into each part of the foot: two toes on the outside of each front foot and three on the inside and the reverse pattern on each hind foot.
Their eyes are more distinctive than the eyes of other reptiles. The upper and lower eyelids are joined, leaving only a pinhole large enough for the pupil to see through. Each eye can rotate and focus separately, allowing a Chameleon to observe two different objects simultaneously. In effect, it gives them a full 360-degree arc of vision. When prey is located, both eyes can be focused in the same direction, giving Chameleons sharp stereoscopic vision and depth perception. The eyes are used to watch out for enemies as well as to hunt for food. Along with insects and slugs Chameleons also eat plants.
Chameleons, like snakes, don't have an outer or a middle ear. This suggests that Chameleons might be deaf. However, some or maybe all Chameleons, can communicate via vibrations that travel through solid material like branches.
Chameleons should not be the first pet that a person obtains. Although Chameleons aren’t the toughest of all exotic pets to look after, they are also not the easiest to handle. Their requirements are very comprehensive and owners frequently get tired of them because of this. But, if you have made up your mind that you want a Chameleon as a pet and you are committed to all the work needed to keep one, then you should certainly consider getting a Chameleon. Make sure that you purchase one that has been brought up in captivity and is trained. The ones that come directly from the wild are quite dangerous, they have a possibility of being infected and it is very difficult for them to adjust to a captive environment. They will also be severely stressed, which will be a big hindrance in training and it could lead to illness or death. You must also remember that many countries have laws prohibiting the exporting of Chameleons, however, that does not stop poachers from doing so. As a result you could be buying an illegal pet and contributing to the continuation of wildlife poaching.
When selecting your pet, check its health, which can be determined by close observation. The Chameleon should be able to change colours and also should be active. It should be brightly coloured and the skin of the body should be smooth and not scaly. Males are easier to maintain because their nutritional requirements are less critical.
Numerous species of Chameleon are available in the exotic pet trade. Jackson's Chameleon, the Panther Chameleon and the Veiled Chameleon are by far the most common in captivity. Most species of Chameleons are listed on CITES and therefore are either banned from exportation from their native countries or have strict quotas placed on the numbers exported. However, lack of enforcement in what are mostly poor countries reduces the effectiveness of this listing.
Chameleons are solitary animals and their camouflaging ability explains it very clearly. They don’t like to be handled, so few will allow you to pet them. Basically, they should be put in a cage with lots of foliage, which caters to their need of climbing trees, as well giving them their desired privacy. They shouldn’t be kept with other pets and it is a really bad idea to keep two male Chameleons together as they will fight and injure each other.
Until next time,
Teia
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