Panther Chameleon
by Michelle Meenawong
Title
Panther Chameleon
Artist
Michelle Meenawong
Medium
Photograph - Metal Print
Description
The panther chameleon (Furcfer pardalis) is a specie of chameleon fond n the eastern and northern parts of Madagascar in a tropical forest biome. Additionally it has been introduced to Reunion and Mauritius.
Male panther chameleons can grow up to 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in length, panther chameleons have a typical length of around 17 centimetres (6.7 in). Females are smaller, at about half the size. In a form of sexual dimorphism, males are more vibrantly colored than the females. Coloration varies with location, and the different color patterns of panther chameleons are commonly referred to as 'locales', which are named after the geographical location in which they are found. Panther chameleons from the areas of Nosy Be, Ankify, and Ambanja are typically a vibrant blue, and those from Ambilobe, Antsiranana, and Sambava are red, green or orange. The areas of Maroantsetra and Tamatave yield primarily red specimens. Numerous other color phases and patterns occur between and within regions. Females generally remain tan and brown with hints of pink, peach, or bright orange, no matter where they are found, but there are slight differences in patterns and colors among the different color phases.
Panther chameleons are zygodactylous: on each foot , the five toes are fused into a group of two and a group of three, giving the foot a tongs-like appearance. These specialized feet allow the panther chameleon a tight grip on narrow branches. 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.
Their eyes are the most distinctive among the reptiles and function like a gun turret. 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; their eyes move independently from each other. It in effect gives them a full 360-degree arc of vision around their bodies. When prey is located, both eyes can be focused in the same direction, giving sharp stereoscopic vision and depth perception. They have keen eyesight for reptiles, letting them see small insects from a long (5–10-m) distance. Ultraviolet light is part of the visible spectrum for chameleons.
Panther chameleons have very long tongues (sometimes longer than their own body length) which they are capable of rapidly extending out of the mouth. The tongue extends at around 26 body lengths per second. The tongue hits the prey in about 0.0030 sec. The tongue of the chameleon is a complex arrangement of bone, muscle and sinew. At the base of the tongue, a bone is shot forward, giving the tongue the initial momentum it needs to reach the prey quickly. At the tip of this elastic tongue, a muscular, club-like structure covered in thick mucus forms a suction cup. Once the tip sticks to a prey item, it is drawn quickly back into the mouth, where the panther chameleon's strong jaws crush it and it is consumed.
A very grateful thank you to the following groups for featuring this picture
ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHS
11/17/2019
MACRO MARVELS
11/25/2019
ANIMALS
11/27/2019
INSECTS BUTTERFLYS AND REPTILES
12/08/2019
ANIMAL MANIA
12/11/2019
WILDLIFE ONE A DAY
01/04/2020
Uploaded
November 13th, 2019
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