Panther chameleon
Furcifer pardalis
— Where the name comes from
Chameleon comes from the Greek khamailéōn, “ground lion” (khamaí, on the ground + léōn). The genus Furcifer is Latin, “fork-bearer”, from the cloven feet; pardalis means “leopard”, for the spotted coat.
— Facts
- Group
- Reptiles · Reptilia
- Order
- Squamates
- Habitat
- Dry forest and coastal vegetation
- Range
- Northern and eastern Madagascar
- Size
- 40–52 cm for the male
- Diet
- Insectivore
- Lifespan
- 5–7 years
— Characteristics
- 01
The eyes swivel independently, covering nearly 360°.
- 02
The tongue fires in 0.07 seconds, at accelerations past 40 g.
- 03
The feet are zygodactyl: two toes opposed to three, for gripping branches.
— What sets it apart
The chameleon does not change colour to match its background — that is a myth. Its cells, the iridophores, hold a lattice of guanine nanocrystals: by relaxing or tightening the skin the animal alters the spacing of that lattice, and with it the wavelength reflected. The colour signals mood, sexual readiness and temperature. It is a language, not a disguise.
