Chameleons Can Suck Using Their Tongues

Zoology textbooks explain that the chameleon's ballistic tongue, stretchable to almost twice the animal's length, is powered by a large accelerator muscle. The muscle lengthens as it squeezes down on the tongue bone, a stiff cartilage in the ...

When they dissected tongues from several chameleon species, the researchers noticed that two muscles form a pouch at the tip of the tongue. Films of chameleons capturing crickets, grasshoppers, and even other lizards revealed that these muscles ...

Scientific Reports - Off like a shot: scaling of ballistic tongue projection reveals extremely high performance in small chameleons

Nature - Mischievous small boys in comics who fire toy arrows with suction cup ends at the bald heads of middle-aged park keepers have a lot in common with chameleons, says Henry Gee.

At home, you can feed your chameleon Dubia roaches, crickets, superworms, silkworms, wax moths, and flies. If you’re squeamish about bugs, a chameleon might not be the right pet for you. Check with your vet first. Most chameleons don't need anything other than insects (although veiled chameleons tend to eat vegetables).

Chameleons are unlikely to be able to flee from predators and rely on crypsis as their primary defense. Chameleons can change both their colours and their patterns (to varying extents) to resemble their surroundings or disrupt the body outline and remain hidden from a potential enemy's sight. Only when detected do chameleons actively defend themselves.

As the tongue relaxes, the adhesion will similarly loosen and ultimately disappear, allowing the chameleon to chow down—without biting its tongue.

In a series of experiments and high-speed videotapes, Herrel and collaborators at Northern Arizona University discovered that a chameleon can create a suction cup at the end of its tongue when it reaches its target.

Compared to pets who eat kibble in bowls, the chameleon has unique dietary requirements. These reptiles eat live gut-loaded bugs, so feeding time is hunting time. If you're squeamish about delivering live insects or don't think you can commit to regular pet store runs for this special food source, a chameleon might not be the right pet for you.