by Johnathan Vredeveld

Created on: June 25, 2008   Last Updated: November 12, 2010

Creatures in the wild have all manner of offensive and defensive mechanisms stored away in their body. Skunks spray predators with a foul-smelling mist that causes them to flee, komodo dragons have mass amounts of bacteria in their mouths that cause most anything they bite to die within days, if not hours, if the initial bite did not kill them first.

Chameleons have a plethora of such mechanisms, with many different techniques for surviving in the wild. They range from simple physical builds, such as their highly dexterous tail and their powerful branch-gripping toes, to internal biology, such as their ability to change the color of their scales and their whip-like tongue.

Perhaps what chameleons are most well-known for is their ability to change the color of their scales. This is achieved by the cooperation of three layers of cells on the chameleons skin, collectively called "chromatophores".

In the upper layer, the most exposed, are two different types of cells. One is the xanthophore cell, which supplies yellow pigments. The other is the erythrophore cell, which supplies red pigments.

In the central layer of chromatophores is the iridophore cell, which is mostly transparent.

The bottom layer is made up of dark brown cells labeled as melanophores.
By changing the pigmentation of these cells ever so slightly, the chameleon is capable of changing their color quickly for whatever reason they need to.
Though many believe a chameleon's color-changing abilities to be used for blending in with their surroundings to avoid predators and mislead prey, it is more often used for communication with other chameleons. It is also used unconsciously as a means to show emotion and stress.

For hunting purposes, the chameleon has a seemingly elastic tongue that snaps out of its mouth in order to catch insects and - in the case of larger species of the chameleon - birds as food. The chameleon's tongue is a potent hunting tool, able to reach as far as two and a half times their own body length, and capable of going further if absolutely necessary.

This is done by a muscle system located near the throat of the chameleon. The system consists of various parts. One, the "hyoid bone", is a V-shaped bone made to keep the system together, the stable frame of the entire system that ensures it does not break apart.

The hyoid horn is connected to the bone of the same prefix, and in combination with the powerful geniohyoideus muscle, it acts as a catapult to send the chameleon's tongue flying

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