Chameleon
Chameleon
Chameleon (/kəˈmiːliən/; from Greek: χαμαιλέων, khamailéōn, "ground lion") is a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. These species come in a range of colors, and many species have the ability to change color.
Etymology
The English word chameleon is a borrowing of the Latin chamaeleōn, a borrowing of the Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn), a compound of χαμαί (khamai) "on the ground" and λέων (léōn) "lion".
Anatomy
Chameleons have the most distinctive eyes of any reptile. The upper and lower eyelids are joined, with only a pinhole large enough for the pupil to see through. They can rotate and focus separately to observe two different objects simultaneously, which lets their eyes move independently from each other.
Chameleons have a distinctive lateral line organ, a system that is sensitive to changes in water pressure. They have very good eyesight for reptiles, letting them see small insects from a long distance.
Behavior
Most species, the larger ones in particular, also have a prehensile tail. Chameleons' tongues are highly modified and are able to extend great distances, typically around 1.5 times the length of their bodies (excluding tail), to capture prey.
Habitat
Chameleons are primarily found in the mainland of sub-Saharan Africa and on the island of Madagascar, although a few species are also found in northern Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East, southern India, Sri Lanka, and several smaller islands in the western Indian Ocean.
Related Terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Chameleon
- Wikipedia's article - Chameleon
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski