Introduction
According to Matt Davies Harmony Communities, chameleons are exceptional creatures that received a lot of attention since they first appeared in encyclopedias and then in nature documentaries. Now, some of the chameleon species are highly sought-after exotic pets. Let’s explore the wonderful world of chameleons.
The Details
- Chameleons don’t just change colors to blend in their surroundings – While a lot of chameleon species change their color to blend in their environments and stay hidden from predators, that’s not the only reason. Chameleons mostly change their color due to several factors including changes in light or temperature, humidity level, and depending on their mood.
Moreover, dominant males have brighter colors while submissive males have more gray and brown. Women may change color to reject or accept a suitor. If you can’t find your pet chameleon, just switch off the light and spot the color change.
- They have eyes at the back of their heads – Chameleons are some of the very animals that can move their eyes separately. So, with each eye having a field of view of 180 degrees, they can capture all 360 degrees without turning their head. This allows chameleons to be hyper-aware of their predators, even if they are coming from the back.
- They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes – Most people are familiar with small chameleon species that fit in the palm of their hand. However, they come in all shapes and sizes with the largest one being the Malagasy giant chameleon with a length of around 27 inches. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s the Brookesia Micra chameleon that grows up to 30mm and can fit on your finger. The juveniles of this species can even fit on the head of a matchstick.
- They aren’t afraid of heat – You may be sweating and cranking up the air conditioning to its limit during the hottest days of summer. However, chameleons aren’t afraid of heat. Instead, they embrace it. Over a quarter of the world’s chameleon species live on the island of Madagascar and the rest are found in similarly tropical and warm regions of the planet.
- They have an exotic diet – Since most chameleon species are found on the island of Madagascar that’s renowned for its unique species that exist only on the island, chameleons also have a colorful and exotic diet. Most of them survive on insects while complementing their diet with fruits and foliage.
Large species can gobble up tens of large crickets regularly. On the extreme end of the spectrum are chameleons that feed on small birds or smaller chameleons. Their powerful and muscular tongue is quite effective at catching prey with shocking speed.
Conclusion
Matt Davies Harmony Communities suggests that you learn more about chameleons if you’re interested in them. If you’re planning to get one as a pet, you need to do a lot of research since they have very unique needs and a strictly controlled environment.
