The Common Chameleon’s physical adaptations to its environment make it an amazing organism to study. We chose this organism because its unique ability to camouflage into its surrounding is not only cool but also a great example of evolution at its finest. While we were researching we found some interesting things that did not fit into our main topics but still thought that they were noteworthy.

The Free Fall

The chameleons’ ability to camouflage is usually a great tool when it comes to hiding from predators, but what happens if they are spotted?  When confronted face to face with a predator the chameleon will actually let go from the tree and free fall to the forest floor in order to escape, no matter how far up the tree it is (Cuadrado et al. 2008).

Size

The average chameleon averages between 8.5cm - 16 cm and weighs around 35g (Arkive 2014).

Other uses for Camouflage

the ability to change color has also been found to help regulate the Chameleons' body temperature and to express their moods (Arkive 2014). This is useful for the chameleon because it is a cold blooded, and is dependent on its environment for it body heat.