Chameleons 4 Coyotes 6 Great Gray Owls 8 Leaf-Tailed Geckos 10 Leopards 12 Polar Bears 14 Praying Mantises 16 Sea Dragons 18 Snowshoe Hares 20 Stonefish 22 Walking Sticks 24 White-Tailed Deer 26 Fact Sheet 28 Glossary 30 For More Information 31 Index 32 About the Author 32 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chameleons are the superstars of camouflage These lizards can change colors How do chameleons do this They have layers of special colored cells under their clear outer skin When these cells expand or shrink the chameleon changes color Chameleons change color because of light and temperature They turn a lighter color by reflecting sunlight This helps their bodies cool down Chameleons turn a darker color to warm up by absorbing more sunlight Many animals use camouflage to blend in with their surroundings Then they can hunt food or avoid predators Chameleons change color to signal their moods A calm chameleon might be green while an angry one might turn red or yellow to warn others away Top males show off bright colors to attract females while shy males display dull colors such as gray Females turn bright colors to reject males However when they do not turn bright colors they are ready to accept males Chameleons respond to temperature and their surroundings by changing color CHAMELEONS BLEND INTO THEIR SURROUNDINGS 1 4
Chameleons live in Africa Asia India and Madagascar The tiny pygmy chameleon measures 0 9 inches 2 3 cm This chameleon fits on a fingertip The Parson’s chameleon grows up to 27 inches 69 cm long That is approximately the size of a cat THINK ABOUT IT What experiment would you design to learn how a chameleon changes color Decide what questions you want your experiment to answer Then list the steps you would take to gather answers 20 Amount of time in seconds it takes a chameleon to change colors Most hatchlings start out as a pastel shade of green Males are usually more colorful than females If you time it right you can actually watch a chameleon change colors A 360-DEGREE VIEW Chameleons can rotate their eyes separately Then they can look up and down at the same time Their eyes give them a 360-degree view all around their body This helps them find insects that they grab with their long tongues There are nearly 160 different species of chameleons 5
