CHAMELEON

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Reptilia
Order:Squamata
Family:Chamaeleonidae

Scientific Name:Chamaeleonidae
Type:ReptileDiet:Omnivore
Size (L):2.8cm - 68.5cm (1.1in - 27in)
Weight:0.01kg - 2kg (0.02lbs - 4.4lbs)
Top Speed:35km/h (21mph)Life Span:4 - 8 years
Lifestyle:Solitary
Conservation Status:Threatened

Colour:Green, Brown, Black, Yellow, Red, Tan
Skin Type:Scales
Favourite Food:Insects
Habitat:Tropical forests and desert
Average Clutch Size:20Main 
Prey:Insects, Snails, Leaves
Predators:Snakes, Birds, Mammals
Distinctive Features:Exceptional vision and ability to change skin colour
The chameleon is a very distinctive and well-known species of lizard, due to the large eyes and curled tail of the chameleon. Chameleons are found throughout jungle and desert alike, in Africa, Asia and parts of SouthernEurope and chameleons have also been introduced to parts of North America.

There are thought to be more than 160 different species of chameleon that range from just an inch to more than a couple of feet in size. The tiny pygmy leaf chameleon, found in the jungles of Madagascar, is the smallest species of chameleon with some males measuring less than 3 cm long.

The largest species of chameleon, the Malagasy giant chameleon, is also natively found in the jungles of Madagascar and can grow to nearly 70 cm in length. Parson's chameleon, also found in Madagascar can grow to around 65 cm in length.

Some species of chameleon, although not all, are able to change the colour of their skin in order to be camouflaged into their surroundings. These colour changes in the chameleon's skin colour can include colours such as pink, blue, red, orange, green, black, brown, light blue, yellow and turquoise, all so that the chameleon can blend in more easily.

The chameleon has exceptional eyesight for a reptile as the structure of the chameleon's eye, allows the chameleon to have complete 360 degree vision around it's body. This special adaptation, allows the chameleon to be able to hunt prey and spot predators more effectively.

The chameleon is generally an omnivorous animal, although some chameleon species are known to have a more carnivorous diet, and other chameleon species prefer to be vegetarians. A chameleon will generally eat anything though including berries, leaves, fruits, insects, worms, snails and some of the larger chameleon species will also hunt small reptiles.

Due to the generally small size of the chameleon, they are often a prime target for hungrypredators (when the chameleon can be seen that is). Other tree dwelling animals such assnakes and birds are the most common predators of the chameleon, along with some mammals.

In order to bury to her eggs to keep them safe and warm, the female chameleon firsts digs a hole in the forest floor in which to bury them. The hole can be from 10 to 30 cm deep, but the depth of the hole generally depends on the chameleon species.

The female chameleon then lays a clutch of around 20 eggs, although the exact number of eggs can vary from just one to nearly 100. The chameleon eggs take from 4-12 months to hatch, depending on the chameleon species.

Today many chameleon species are considered to be threatened with extinction, and other chameleon species are even considered to to endangered. The declining chameleon numbers are most likely due to habitat changes such as pollution and deforestation.

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Reptiles

About Reptiles

Reptiles arose over 300,000,000 years ago, having evolved from a salamander-like ancestor. They represent a completion of the transition from life in water to a fully terrestrial lifestyle (although some reptiles have returned to the water). Waterproof skin and a water-resistant egg means that reptiles can live in places and ways that amphibians can't. There are over 8,700 currently recognized species, a large majority of which belong to the group Squamata, which includes the lizards, snakes, and worm-like amphisbaenians.
They range in size from tiny geckos that easily rest on a dime to the giant Komodo dragon, which tops the scales at 150 kg (330 pounds)! Venom is widespread among reptiles, from many lizards and snakes that will, at most, produce an irritating sensation with their salivary secretions to deadly coral snakes and their relatives which produce neurotoxins that can cause cardiac arrest in short order. However, the vast majority of reptiles are absolutely harmless to humans.
Reptiles exhibit some remarkable adaptations. Tails of lizards, for instance, are used for many purposes. The fat Gila monster of the Sonoran desert of North America uses its plump tail to store energy in the form of fat. African chameleons use their prehensile tail as a fifth limb to wrap around branches. The green iguana uses its tail as a whip-like weapon. But most fascinatingly, if a lizard doesn't have a better use for its tail, the lizard can give it away. If a predator attacks many species of lizard, the tail is designed to fall off. This distracts the predator from the rest of the lizard so it can get away. So the rule for lizard tails is "use it or lose it!".
Snakes have a remarkable evolutionary history. The earliest snakes were tiny, nearly blind fossorial (living underground) species, and fed on tiny prey like termites. Later, their descendents moved up above ground and re-evolved eyes from the vestiges of eyes left over from their ancient lizard ancestors. Further adaptations evolved that let their jaws disarticulate, or come apart, which let them eat prey much wider than the width of their heads.

Sauria: Lizards

Lizards number over 5,000 species and come in a great diversity of body sizes, shapes, and colors. Many are "sexually dimorphic" in which the males, like thisEnyalioides oshaugonessi, exhibit brighter colors, larger heads, a more expanded dewlap (throat fan) and larger body sizes than females.

Serpentes: Snakes

The over 3,000 species of snakes descended from lizards and have highly derived characters, such as a jaw that disarticulates to swallow prey larger than its own head. The forked tongue of snakes allows them to sense scents coming from each direction, giving them a stereo sense of smell.

Chelonia: Turtles

First arising about 215 million years ago, the over 300 species of turtles comprise the oldest lineage of living reptiles. Thus, the evolutionary success of a shell has proven highly adaptive. Tortoises are one type of turtle that are particularly well adapted to life on land.

Crocodilia: Crocodiles

There are 23 species of crocodilians, represented by crocodiles, alligators, caiman, and gharials. They range throughout the tropics and some into temperate regions. They are characterized by bony scales, water-resistant flaps over the ears, and extended parental care. They have been historically threatened by exploitation for meat and skin.

Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenians

The 178 species of amphisbaenians represent a highly derived lineage of lizards. Like their amphibian counterparts, the caecilians, they have evolved for a fossorial (underground) lifestyle, most species having lost their legs and most of the functionality of their eyes.

Flickr Tags: Reptiles

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Black Mamba

Black Mamba



The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis), also called the common black mamba or black-mouthed mamba is the longest venomous snake in Africa, averaging around 2.5 to 3.2 m (8.2 to 10 ft) in length, and sometimes growing to lengths of 4.45 m (14.6 ft). It is named for the black colour of the inside of the mouth rather than the colour of its scales which varies from dull yellowish-green to a gun-metal grey. It is the fastest snake in the world, capable of moving at 4.32 to 5.4 metres per second (16–20 km/h, 10–12 mph). It has a reputation for being aggressive and highly venomous and is among the world's most venomous land snakes .

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Nile crocodile

Type:Reptile

Diet: Carnivore 

Average life span in the wild: 45 years (est.) 

Size: 16 ft (5 m) 

Weight: 500 lbs (225 kg) 

Group name: Bask (on land) or float (in water) 

Did you know? 

Mummified crocodiles and crocodile eggs have been discovered in Egyptian tombs. Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: 

Nile Crocodile.
The Nile crocodile has a somewhat deserved reputation as a vicious man-eater.

The proximity of much of its habitat to people means run-ins are frequent. And its virtually indiscriminate diet means a villager washing clothes by a riverbank might look just as tasty as a migrating wildebeest. Firm numbers are sketchy, but estimates are that up to 200 people may die each year in the jaws of a Nile croc.Africa's largest crocodilian, these primordial brutes reach a maximum size of about 20 feet (6 meters) and can weigh up to 1,650 pounds (730 kilograms). Average sizes, though, are more in the range of 16 feet (5 meters) and 500 pounds (225 kilograms). They live throughout sub-Saharan Africa, the Nile Basin, and Madagascar in rivers, freshwater marshes, and mangrove swamps.The diet of the Nile crocodile is mainly fish, but it will attack almost anything unfortunate enough to cross its path, including zebras, small hippos, porcupines, birds, and other crocodiles. It will also scavenge carrion, and can eat up to half its body weight at a feeding.One unusual characteristic of this fearsome predator is its caring nature as a parent. Where most reptiles lay their eggs and move on, mother and father Nile crocs ferociously guard their nests until the eggs hatch, and they will often roll the eggs gently in their mouths to help hatching babies emerge.Hunted close to extinction in the 1940s through the 1960s, local and international protections have helped them rebound in most areas. In some regions, though, pollution, hunting, and habitat loss have severely depleted their numbers.

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Nile Crocodile.

I am wishing to write a post about these guyz, I love them,
I will share what I have about it with you, am wishing to get more from you guys too.

Nile Crocodile.

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