AMAZING MARKMANSHIP

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 April 1938, Page 12

AMAZING MARKMANSHIP

HOW CHAMELEON CATCHES FOOD To watch chameleon taking his meals, on a warm day when his vitality is full, is a rare entertainment, says Dr. E. P. G. de Smidt. Catching flies off a Avail, or, more productively, off my patient dog’s nose, keeps chameleon on the constant alert. Actually, though, he is always on the alert, although he might no t appear to be. Some of the insects he will take at ordinary range of his tongue —a little more or less than the length of his body; at more elusive flies he will easily make shots at a distance which

I seems incredible; and he will only fail to bag his “game” when this happens to move on at the instant his "shot” is “fired.” The projecting, hemispherical, skincovered eyes, with central pin’s-head aperture through which the bright pupil shines, are rotating actively in their jerky way, each eye working independently of the other, one looking) froward or upward, the other backward or downward, so as quickly to embrace all points of view. A fat fly enters the wide field of vision behind: chameleon rapidly turns, fixes the doomed insect now with both eyes together, and straining; forward as far as he can —he does not

believe in taking chances—follows the progress of the fly until it pauses; then a flash of an astonishing length of tongue with bulbous, adhesive end; and the fly is next seen head first —almost invariably head first —between chameleon’s big jaws which have closed upon its thorax and so killed it instantly before it is masticated into a shapeless pulp and swallowed. ' The tongue-shooting is done with consummate ease and precision, in a delightfully effortless way, however long the range. Chameleon is a very canny sportsman: he does not waste! his “ammunition” on game which he feels to be out of his long range or moving too fast for a. sure shot.

In regard to the greater length of shooting range, one can estimate this by taking some attractive insect bptween the fingers, and offering it to a tame chameleon perched on a. branch, swaying his lithe body backwards and forwards between each step—the picture of menacing stealth; but still obi serving the surrounding landscape in j an apparent casual way, in the hope ) that something more succulent than | that which he is going for may turn i up within range on his way. Then, arriving at the branch tip, he to this with his hind feet — which are actually peculiar bird hands like his front hands, and throwing a loop of prehensile tail round the twig behind him he strains forward to his utmost—while I unobtrusively witlithe insect to a greater distance —and now fixing both eyes on his target, with characteristic easy self-confid-cnce brings off one of his ’ special “stunts” of markmanship. I On a warm day, when the reptile’s I vitality is at, its height, the tongue ■. flashes out and back,so rapidly that the eye cannot follow it. In cold weather, the tongue flops out slowly

! enough for the whole” process to be I easily seen. But, whether cold or warm the accuracy of the “shooting” is of the “highest possible” class. The length of the chameleon’s tail is about equal to that of his trunk. My highest estimates of the range of his tongue-shooting are about the length of the body plus tail multiplied by one and a half —that is, of course about thrice the length of the body. I do not think this to be an over-estimate. With chameleons at ease on garden woody shrubs observed ht my leisure from a chair, I have often been astonished by the most sensational tongueshooting which appeared to be certainly twice the length of body plus tail.

Colour-changing is the capacity for which chameleon has become proverbial; and it is generally absurdly misrepresented; for although he is a very good “quick-change artist,” yet his actual colour changes are far less sensational from ' the popular point of view. Actually,' the most rapid and striking colour-changes occur in response to’ the' reptile’s emotions —fear, anger, and other excitement. Speedy and very pronounced'changes in hue are affected also by marked changes in the temperature of the air about him. '

The sleeping habits of chameleon are interesting and intelligent. Going to bed always punctually at “sundowner” time, he retires night after night, month in month out, to the same twig or roost, or to exactly the same part‘of a particular branch which he has selected as a good berth. There he slowly lies down, gripping fast with front and hind hands, coils his tail into a flat spiral, shuts his restless eyes at last, and, turning a little pale, sleeps imperturbably until sunrise. At sunrise, when’the air is always at this high altitude, rather chilly, his “getting up” is as leisurely as his going to bed.