These fantastic creatures have always attracted attention with their amazing properties. What kind of animal is a chameleon? Description, color change, features of content and behavior - all of these reptiles that have survived to the present from the Cretaceous period are amazing. It is difficult to deny yourself the pleasure of having such an exotic animal at home. And then the question arises: "What do chameleons eat and how to make the animal feel comfortable?"
Heat lovers
In the area where chameleons live, the climate is dry and very warm. That is why more than half of all species, and there are about ninety of them, live in Madagascar. Many species populations have chosen Africa and India. And only one - the common chameleon - is found in southern Europe.
In southern Spain, farmers and homeowners have adapted to plant chameleons as protection against flies: a saucer of honey, placed in the open, attracts insects from all over the house, and the chameleon can only "harvest".
Sitting high, looking far away
Only a few species of chameleons are known that lead a land-based lifestyle, while the rest prefer to live on trees. The natural color of the foliage and bark of the plants is ideal so that a small lizard with the ability to mimic becomes almost invisible to enemies and potential prey. The body of the chameleon is perfectly suited for living among the branches: thanks to the long tenacious tail and the arrangement of the paws, the animal can easily stay on the thinnest branches. The chameleon has five fingers with membranes on each foot, when grasping the support, they are located on opposite sides: two on one side, three on the other. An extra hitch to the surface is provided by tuberous skin. By the way, the tail of the chameleon cannot grow back, as in other lizards.
Very sharp eye
A chameleon is an animal unique in every way. Among other things, they are able to what is not accessible to any other reptile - to look in different directions at the same time.
Hidden in thick leathery folds of the eye (only the pupil remains on the surface) not only do they have a circular view, they also do it independently of each other! One eye, for example, looks out for prey in front and on the sides, and the second at this time monitors the rear: is there any danger from behind? At the same time, the chameleon's vision is quite sharp: they are able to see the insect at a distance of up to ten meters.
Go away, no one here
The only creature that fully deserves the title of master of disguise among animals is a chameleon. The color of his skins can change, though not instantly, but very quickly. Why does a chameleon change color? Pigmentation of the skin depends on several factors:
1. The emotional state of the animal. Red, brown, black - a sign of aggression, pale colors - fear.
2. Change in environmental conditions. For example, with prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, the skin also becomes very dark.
3. A healthy, comfortable chameleon on a hunt is painted in green-brown colors, the color of foliage.
Contrary to popular myths, a chameleon is not able to copy a pattern on a carpet or pretend to be an exotic flower. The maximum that representatives of certain species are capable of is to repeat the veins of the leaf and take a pose that makes them look like this same leaf, which in itself is already surprising. In such an uncomfortable position, the animal can spend several hours until the hunt is successful.
What amazing natural mechanism helps them to disguise themselves so much successfully?
Subcutaneous palette
For many years, the question of how and why the chameleon changes color has remained open. The veil of secrecy began to rise when sufficiently powerful microscopes appeared, which gave rise to the development of cell theory. It turned out that for the color of the skin, hair and even the iris of the eyes, all living creatures are responsible for special cells - chromatophores containing various pigments.
The ability to move pigment in skin cells explains the unique ability of chameleons to disguise, scientifically called physiological color change. Depending on the color of the pigment contained in the chromatophores, they are divided into many subspecies: the most famous are melanophores. Melanin is the darkest, therefore, it was on his example that this unusual phenomenon was studied. It turned out that the color change is achieved by the distribution of pigment throughout the cell or its concentration in the center. In the first case, the color of this particular cell is most bright; in the second, pigmentation of cells lying deeper appears.
This entire complex system is controlled by nerve impulses: the connection of the effect of mimicry with the visual centers of the animal is 100% proven. The effect of hormones and other sensory organs on the pigmentation of chameleons is also being studied.
The food comes by itself
What does a chameleon eat in the wild? The usual food of these reptiles is all kinds of insects. As a rule, at the beginning of the hunt, the animal takes a wait-and-see position on the branch, practically merging with the surrounding background, and the wait begins, which can last for hours.
If reckless prey appears within reach, the chameleon instantly “shoots” its tongue at her side - and after a split second a fly or bug finds itself in his mouth. The language of the chameleon deserves a separate description: it is unusually long, in a calm state it hides in its mouth, twisted into a spring, and is charged with energy, so that at the right moment with great speed and power overtake the victim. The tip of the tongue is sticky, which allows the chameleon not only to reach the target, but also to keep it.
If the mountain doesn’t go …
The chameleon looks funny, having decided that the prey does not approach a distance sufficient for the attack: in such cases, it slowly begins to move in the right direction. One eye is fixed on the target, the second tirelessly examines the surroundings. With a barely noticeable movement, he raises the front leg, slightly pushes it forward, releases and shifts the tail forward, after rearranging the hind leg. Moreover, the limbs are able to move like this: first left, then right, and not alternately, as we used to observe in other four-legged animals. All this is completely silent and looks like in slow motion.
By the way, despite the fact that chameleons prefer a sedentary lifestyle, if necessary, they can run pretty fast and even jump from branch to branch.
Captivity
Outside the natural habitat, chameleons feel comfortable in terrariums with a width and length of at least half a meter and a height of more than a meter. If the specimen is especially large, the capacity for it should be even more spacious. The optimum temperature during the day is +30 … +32 ° C, at night - +22 … +24 ° C, and no drafts!
If there are several individuals, you need to equip the terrarium, where the chameleons live in such a way that everyone has their own spacious plot - these creatures rather zealously guard their territory.
A "day" should last at least twelve hours, which means that additional artificial light sources are needed. The pet will really like it if at different levels of the terrarium, in addition to living plants in pots, twigs and snags will be placed along which he can climb.
Chameleon in nature licks moisture from the leaves of plants, he can not drink from containers. Therefore, in the terrarium, it is necessary to install a pump drinker. Waterfalls with continuously flowing water look very stylish. These drinkers provide sufficient moisture and allow animals to quench their thirst without difficulty.
Master I'm hungry
What do chameleons eat at home? The main food for any of the species of these creatures is everything that flies, crawls, can be caught and swallowed, but it is not poisonous. Chameleon is an insectivorous animal. Dragonflies, butterflies, flies, bugs and others, other. Never offer wasps or bees to your pet. However, the instinct will tell the chameleon that this is not worth eating, because it is fraught with painful death from a bite in the tongue. Crickets are considered optimal food in terms of saturation with useful substances.
But insects are not the only thing chameleons eat. Adults with an appetite diversify the diet with fruits and some non-rigid vegetables. Tastes can vary: someone will prefer an apple, someone will prefer a banana. It will be necessary to find out the preferences of the pet empirically. Fruits should be cut into pieces and laid out on the branches and leaves of plants, but so that they do not fall down. If you are too lazy to mess around, you can feed the beast with your hands or with tweezers.
Along with crickets, locusts and feed cockroaches are also popular. In large cities, live food can be bought at pet stores, but if this is not possible, you will have to take care of breeding insects yourself. From what chameleons eat, their health and life expectancy directly depend.
