Chameleons

Of all the reptiles in the world, one of the most unique is possibly the chameleon. There are various species of chameleon. They all share a few general characteristics, which will be listed here.

Chameleons are native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. They are most prevalent in Madagascar. These reptiles have ridged bodies and proportionally large heads. They also have long sticky tongues that they can use to catch their prey. The eyes of a chameleon are a cone-like shape. Both eyes move independently and can rotate to give these lizards a good range of vision.

Most species of chameleons are arboreal, which means that they live in trees. They are mainly insectivores and use their tongues to snatch their small prey. The movements of a chameleon are very distinctive. They tend to move relatively slowly in rocking motions. These lizards are known for their ability to change their skin color. Some species do this in order to blend in to their environment while others may just do this depending on their emotional state. These unique lizards are sometimes kept as pets.

There are four main species of chameleon that are kept as pets in the United States. These are the Veiled Chameleon, Panther Chameleon, Rampholeon Chameleon, and the Jackson's Chameleon. Most pet chameleons require close to the same amount of space, but the habitat within largely depends on the species of chameleon. If you are intending to purchase a chameleon it is very important that you create an environment that makes the animal feel comfortable. All of these lizards require both UVA and UVB light rays. It is important that they get both kinds of light otherwise they cannot utilize calcium and may get metabolic bone disease.

When providing food and water for a chameleon, the owner needs to remember that chameleons will not usually drink out of a dish. They need to have either a drip system set up or the owner must regularly mist them with a water bottle. When being fed, chameleons enjoy a variety of insects. Owners typically feed them a variety of crickets, mealworms, super worms, flies, moths, and other insects.

Chameleons are interesting reptiles and if being kept as pets do not require a lot of human contact. The owner of one of these lizards must be handled some to keep them from becoming aggressive or fearful of people. They should not be constantly handled, however, because this may cause the animal to become annoyed and dislike the contact. Both as wildlife and pets, chameleons are an interesting and unique species.

Sources:

http://www.chameleonsonline.com/interaction.php

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reptiles/lizards_chameleons/Chameleons.php

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/chameleon.aspx