In the reptile world, one of the most interesting
lizards must be the chameleons. While many of us are
familiar with the fact that ___1___
colorful lizards are known for their ability to
change their color, not many of us know ___2___
their fascinating eyes. Their eyes can be moved
independently ___3___
each other ! This simply means that the chameleon
may look like it is having a very confusing day --
its eyes can be all ___4___
the place !
The chameleon's eyes are the ___5___
distinctive among the reptiles. Each eye has a scaly
lid shaped like a cone, with only a small round
opening in the middle for the pupil. The chameleon ___6___
rotate and focus its eyes separately to look at two
different objects at the same time ! This gives it a
full 360-degree view ___7___
its surroundings. However, when the chameleon sees a
prey, both eyes can focus in the same direction to
get a clearer view.
Chameleons love insects such as locusts,
mantises, grasshoppers, stick insects, and crickets.
Some larger chameleons have been ___8___
to also eat small birds and other lizards. They are
able to stick the tongue out of their mouth very
quickly. The tongue has a sticky tip on the end to
snag prey items that they would otherwise never be
able to catch. ___9___
the prey sticks to the tongue, the chameleon draws
it back into the mouth, where its strong jaws crush
it for swallowing.
So, ___10___
you are a potential prey for a chameleon, you better
hurry when you see a chameleon staring right at you
with both its eyes ! |