Fall 2021 Children's Sneak Previews
Meller's Chameleon
Common Name: Meller's Chameleon Scientific Name: Trioceros melleri Average Life Span In The Wild: 12 years Size relative to a teacup: IUCN Red List Status:? Least concernLeast Concern Extinct
Current Population Trend: UnknownThe Meller's chameleon is the largest of the chameleons not native to Madagascar. Their stout bodies can grow to be up to two feet long and weigh more than a pound.
Unique "Horn"Meller's distinguish themselves from their universally bizarre-looking cousins with a single small horn protruding from the front of their snouts. This and their size earn them the common name "giant one-horned chameleon."
Population RangeThey are fairly common in the savanna of East Africa, including Malawi, northern Mozambique, and Tanzania. Almost one-half of the world's chameleons live on the island of Madagascar.
Color ChangingAs with all chameleons, Meller's will change colors in response to stress and to communicate with other chameleons. Their normal appearance is deep green with yellow stripes and random black spots. Females are slightly smaller, but are otherwise indistinguishable from males.
DietThey subsist on insects and small birds, using their camouflage and a lightning-fast, catapulting tongue, which can be up to 20 inches long, to ambush prey.
In CaptivityExotic pet enthusiasts often attempt to keep Meller's chameleons as pets. However, they are highly susceptible to even the slightest level of stress and are very difficult to care for in captivity. In the wild, they can live as long as 12 years.
Everyone Can See The Colourful Parrots – But You Have Genius Level IQ If You Can Find The Chameleon In 12 Seconds
TIME to put your brain to the test and solve this tricky brainteaser in just 12 seconds or less.
If you can find the chameleon camouflaged in the parrots in less than 12 seconds you may be a genius.
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There is a chameleon hiding among the parrotsCredit: Bright SideThe image shows brightly coloured parrots sitting in a tree, but if you look really closely you will be able to make out a cheeky chameleon.
This puzzle is particularly hard as it it is deliberately designed to trick the eyes with the bright colour scheme.
If you're still struggling here's a helpful hint.
Look for a bold colour that isn't part of a bird, this might just be the chameleon peeping out from the leaves.
Picture puzzles are a form of brain teaser that tests the reader's critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
These challenges have the potential to boost intelligence and improve concentration.
How can optical illusions and brainteasers help me?
Engaging in activities like solving optical illusions and brainteasers can have many cognitive benefits as it can stimulate various brain regions.
Some benefits include:
Did you spot the chameleon in time?
If you still can't find it, here's the solution.
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BRAVE FIGHT
Esther Rantzen's daughter reveals heartbreaking update about mum's cancerThe sneaky reptile is circled in red.
If you enjoy testing your brain, have a look at our other optical illusions.
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The chameleon is hiding in the leavesCredit: Bright Side
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Can you find the three pandas without sunglasses?Credit: Gergely Dudás
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Can you spot the frog in under 12 seconds?Credit: jagran josh
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Can you find the hidden boots?Credit: Feel Good Contacts
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The pandas without eye protection are circled in redCredit: Gergely Dudás
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The frog has been circled aboveCredit: jagran josh
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The brown boots you are looking for are circledCredit: Feel Good ContactsNine Colourful Facts About Chameleons
The chameleon is well known as a master of disguise, but that is not the only fascinating aspect of these wonderful animals. Here are nine things you might not know about them…
1. There's a story that the chameleon looks so bizarre because it was made by the Devil from spare parts.It is said to have the tail of a monkey, the skin of a crocodile, the tongue of a toad, the horns of a rhinoceros and the eyes of a who knows what?!
A male Jackson's chameleon
2. Disguise is not the only reason chameleons change colour.They become darker when it's cold to better absorb heat and they become lighter to reflect warmth when they need to cool down.
Colour can also be a sign of their mood and chameleons often show their most striking colours when they are communicating with other chameleons. This allows them to communicate over long distances without making sounds that could alert predators.
The brightest colours are displayed when males are trying to impress females or when they feel under threat from other chameleons.
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In a few seconds, a young Jackson's chameleon produces spots.
3. A chameleon's tongue is twice the length of its body on average.Most of the time it is folded up like an accordion in its mouth. When a meal passes by, the chameleon contracts its tongue muscles just like pulling back the string of a bow and fires its tongue forward like a rocket-powered harpoon, reaching its prey in 20 milliseconds. Scientists call this adaptation "elastic recall".
If it were a car, a chameleon's tongue could accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 1/100th of a second. It's the highest acceleration and power output of all reptiles, birds and mammals.
A chameleon's tongue in action 4. The world's smallest chameleon is the Brookesia micra which grows to just 30mm.
Brookesia micra: the world's smallest chameleon
It is one of the tiniest vertebrates on earth.
The largest chameleon is the Parson's chameleon which can reach up to 68cm. These enormous lizards have ridges running from above the eyes to the nose forming two warty horns.
5. Chameleons have the most unusual eyes of any reptile.Each eye can rotate independently to observe two different scenes separately and they combine these two images in their brains. This allows chameleons to see a 360 degrees arc.
6. Chameleons change colour by moving pigment cells so that they overlap one another.Until recently, this method – which is similar to mixing paint – was thought to explain how they display all their colours. But research has shown that some of the brightest colours appear when pigment cells with miniature crystals are moved in order to reflect different wavelengths – and therefore colours – of light.
7. For centuries there was a myth that chameleons could live on air.This was supposedly because people so rarely saw them eat.
To test the theory, chameleons were put in cages without food. Needless to say, the experiment didn't go well for the chameleons, as you will hear in Natural Histories: Chameleon.
8. The chameleon is thought to be responsible for humans being mortal.The Zulu of Southern Africa believe that the chameleon was told by God (Unkulunkulu) to send a message to humans to tell them that they could live forever. The chameleon set off but, due to its slow gait the, it took so long to get here that God changed his mind and instead sent a lizard to break the news that his people could die. People blame the chameleon for this and it is seen as an omen of bad luck in many areas.
9. Throughout his life and in nearly all the tributes to him after his death, David Bowie was described as a 'musical chameleon'.... But he didn't agree with the description and said: "For me a chameleon is something that disguises itself to look as much like its environment as possible. I always thought I did the exact opposite of that." Hopefully at some point a reptile expert pointed out that the chameleon shows its most dazzling colours when it is displaying to others so there is flamboyance in the chameleon's colours, as well as it being the Houdini of the animal world.
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