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My best Madag friend!!!
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| Photo Information |
Copyright: Lucio Red (Redrubin)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 799 W: 73 N: 2121]](http://i1.treklens.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (12301) |
| Genre: Places |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2006-01-18 |
| Categories: Nature |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2008-10-28 1:56 |
| Viewed: 227 |
| Points: 28 |
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
PS SORRY FOR MADAG SHOTS QUALITY IN NOT SO GOOD DUE TO THE NORMAL CAMERA USED, really here I destroyed mine Canon and bought one chinese cheeper and with 2Mpixel quality
During my stay in madagascar
this little happy animal always with me
so nice and wonderful and elegant
Near me , waiting for me
have good day to all
Chameleons are diurnal, solitary, and often aggressive towards members of their own species (marked by rapid color change and aggressive posturing). They are opportunistic hunters that wait for prey to pass within range of their long tongues. Chameleons have a bizarre way of moving in which they slowly rock back and forth between each step taken, often in time with the movement of nearby leaves being blown by the wind. Most chameleons lay eggs.
Almost half of the world’s chameleon species live on the island of Madagascar. This chameleon community is not only the world’s largest, it is also the world’s most unique; with 59 different species existing nowhere outside of Madagascar.
Beyond their uniqueness to the island, chameleons are unique creatures in their own right. Known for their ability to change color, they can be seen wearing a variety of colors, including brown, green, blue, yellow, red, black or white. Communication is an important reason behind these color changes. With color, chameleons can communicate with others, expressing attitudes such as their willingness to mate. Contrary to popular belief, chameleons cannot display limitless colors and do not change colors in a camouflage response to their surroundings. Instead, their skin changes in response to temperature, light, and mood.
A chameleon’s colorful beauty is truly skin deep. Under the transparent outer skin are two cell layers that contain red and yellow pigments, or chromatophores. Below the chromatophores are cell layers that reflect blue and white light. Even deeper down is a layer of brown melanin (which gives human skin its various shades). Levels of external light and heat, and internal chemical reactions cause these cells to expand or contract. A calm chameleon, for example, may exhibit green, because the somewhat contracted yellow cells allow blue-reflected light to pass through. An angry chameleon may exhibit yellow, because the yellow cells have fully expanded, thus blocking off all blue-reflected light from below.
Other lizards, like the green anole, can also change color. But this green-to-brown color change is much less dramatic than the vivid, distinct color and pattern changes of chameleons.
Chameleons have many other features that distinguish them from their lizard cousins. They are the only lizards with zygodactyle feet, or pincers. These grasping feet are ideal for tree climbing. Chameleons also have an extremely extensile tongue. The tongue is used to snap up insects and out-of-reach food, and can be up to twice the length of a chameleon’s body. Also distinctive are the independently moveable eyes, which allow chameleons the ability to survey the world with nearly 360-degree vision.
Chameleons belong to their own subfamily, Chamaeleoninae, which is divided into two tribes: Brookesiini (dwarf chameleons) and Chamaeleonini (typical chameleons). Currently it is believed that 134 chameleon species exist, 33 Brookesiini species and 100 Chamaeleonini species. Eight new species of dwarf chameleons have been recently discovered since 1990.
The fossil record provides very little evidence to date the evolution of chameleons, although they are likely to be an ancient group. Fossils have only been found in Africa and Europe. The biogeographic history of the group is unclear. The modern restricted distribution of the group in Africa, Southern Europe (southern Spain and Crete), Madagascar, Seychelles, Comoros, and Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan) suggests that the evolutionary radiation of chameleons may have been associated with the final breakup of Gondwana (an ancient continent once located in the southern hemisphere), during the separation of Africa, Madagascar, and Greater India, during the late Jurassic and Cretaceous period.
Some of chameleons in Madagascar are very rare and poorly known, such as Chamaeleo belalandaensis, found in the southwest. This chameleon’s natural habitat is degraded gallery forest, which has now been almost completely cleared. The Chamaeleo belalandaensis is an example of a species for which studies are urgently needed, so that conservation efforts can be improved. The species has already been collected for the pet trade, and the impact on the population is not known. Very localized distribution combined with apparently tiny surviving populations suggest that this species is vulnerable to extinction. |
mvdisco, Teresat, MickoAna, Matylda76, MagdalenaN, ayse51, tanburi, harrisonford, szekelykristof, adriana, amcolli, szatanowska has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekLens members may rate photo notes. |
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Hi Lucio,
Special mage from an exotic, special place. Good capture of this animal. Probably sharpnessand composition could have been a bit better, but I'm sure it wasn't easy to take the shot this way. Well done!
Ciao,
Kristof
Hi Red
what a wonderful animal
I m afraid but like it
Very good capture
S
Hello Lucio,
Lovely lizard shot.
Thanks for information..
TFS
Selahattin E
- ayse51
(13295)
- [2008-10-28 11:08]
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Hi Lucio,
beautiful shot fo lovely Hizard.Well done.TFS.Necla.
Hi Lucio
so this is Your friend from Madagascar, great guy, I like him, look so nice, U should take him with U to Italy, good for U Lucio that U could see this chameleon in real and so close, good image,
ciao
Magda
Hi crazy man!
what a small animal... hehe
excellent shot, is good!
ciao Karolcia
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- mbrito
(7719)
- [2008-10-28 14:45]
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Hi Lucio,
Strange friends you've made in Madagascar. However very photogenic, and, as I see here, very popular.
Funny posting, and very sharp for a 2mp chinese «articraft».
Best reagrds, mb
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- cinca
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 388 W: 2 N: 111]](http://i1.treklens.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(3667) - [2008-10-28 15:43]
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ciao Lucio, mi piacciono molto i gechi, camaleonti e company. Di solito appaiono impassibili, ma questo invece sembra bearsi del tuo contatto. Ha,ha forse era una camaleonta! foto simpatica!
ciao, cinzia
Ciao Lucio, il soggetto non è proprio quel che aspettavo e la qualità è scarsina, per i motivi che spieghi nella nota, ma la composizione è bella e l'animaletto è carino, la nota interessante, non pensavo che i camalleonti si affezionassero come cagnolini, ciao Silvio
Boa tarde Lucio
The shot is great.. and this friend seems to be like you. Exotic places...exotic friends.
have a nice day.
my regards
teresat
Hai proprio fascino con i rettili. Con i cobra però, non c'è trippa per gatti. Con amicizia.
Roberto
Hi Lucio Bonjour,
Belle prise de vue de ce petit animal exotique, le chamelion est très bien posé avec de belles couleurs et netteté, Excellent POV. et détails,
complimenti.
Michel in the snow...;)
credo che personalmente se me lo fosis trovato sulal mano mi sarebbe venuto l'infarto (che per una cardiologa è il massimo della sfortuna) comunque anche se non mi metto in competizion con silvio, preferisco gli amici (o le amiche) che ti fai altrove ....
beijos
anna
ciao Lucio!
i saw one in San Marino:D
they look very wise...like an old wiseman this head:D
TFS
kiss
Ania
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