Chameleon SVG is a lizard that can change the color of the body. It belongs to the Chameleon family of reptiles (Chamaeleonidae).
The animal got its Russian name thanks to the German word Chamaleon, borrowed from the ancient Greek language, where chameleons were literally called the “earth lion”.
Chameleon SVG: description and characteristics. How does the animal look like?
Chameleon is one of the most unusual and beautiful lizards on the planet. The average length of the chameleon is about 30 cm, the largest chameleons grow to 65-68 cm, the size of the smallest lizards does not exceed 3-5 cm. For example, the length of the male lizard Brookesia micra with its tail is 2.2-2.3 cm, and the total length of the giant chameleon Furcifer oustaleti is 50-68 cm.
The elongated body of the chameleon is often decorated with high convex ridges of fan-shaped shape, passing along the entire length of the spine or located only on the head.
These lizards are distinguished by the helmet-shaped skull with the raised back of the head.
The head of the male chameleon can be crowned with various bone growths – hillocks or thick sharp horns.
Females, as a rule, do not have such ornaments.
Chameleon SVG paws are long, with congested fingers, forming a kind of “claws” with which it is convenient to climb trees, wrapping branches.
Most of the lizards living mostly on trees are endowed with a long, spirally twisted tail, which is also successfully used for climbing. Terrestrial chameleon species are mostly short-tailed.
A distinctive feature of Chameleon SVG is the eyes covered with congested eyelids with a small hole for the pupil.
Circular view is provided by the uncoordinated movements of the left and right eyes, which is very helpful in successful hunting.
The chameleon tongue is equipped with a suction cup at the very end. While hunting, the chameleon sits motionlessly in an ambush, slowly moving only with his eyes, and throws his tongue towards the victim in a flash. The process of capturing the prey and returning the tongue to the mouth takes less than half a second. And the tongue is thrown out in 1/20 seconds. Thus, in 3 seconds the lizard can catch 4 victims.
If heavy prey is difficult to hold the tongue, the next time the victim of such dimensions of the chameleon has his mouth. The length of the tongue is about 1.5-2 times the length of the lizard itself.
How does the Chameleon SVG change color?
The most interesting feature of chameleon is the change of color and skin pattern. It was initially thought that chameleon changes color for the purpose of disguise, but recent research has shown that the change in color primarily due to communication with relatives. Color metamorphoses depend on a combination of many factors: time of day, temperature and humidity of the environment, as well as health and emotional state of the individual. Changes in skin color are usually associated with the expression of threat, fear, irritation, and hunger and dehydration. During the marriage period, males are able to change colour almost instantly.
Due to the peculiarities of the skin layers, light chameleon quickly turns yellow or green, then purple-red, up to dark brown or black.
These transformations can occur immediately throughout the body, as well as on individual skin areas, accompanied by the appearance and disappearance of various strokes and spots of various shapes.
Chameleon is one of the oldest animals on the planet.
The excavated remains of these lizards are about 26 million years old. According to some reports, there are findings and the age of up to 100 million years.