Juli Gum, age 11, of Florence, S.C., for her question:
HOW DOES A CHAMELEON CHANGE COLOR?
The chameleon belongs to a family with the fancy Latin name of Chamaeleontidae. One member of the family, often called the American chameleon because he can be found in North America, is actually not a chameleon but is a member of the New World lizard group. There are about 3,000 members of the lizard family, but the chameleon is in a much more exclusive group.
A chameleon is a type of lizard that lives in Africa and Madagascar. A few members of the family can be found in southern Asia and Europe. All together, there are about 100 different kinds of chameleons.
Many think the chameleon's ability to change the color of its skin to match its surroundings is unique, but this isn't true. Actually a lot of other lizards can also change their colors rapidly and completely. The American lizard, often sold as a ''chameleon,'' is in this group.
Color changes in a chameleon are controlled by three different conditions: variations in the temperature, changes in light and the lizard's feelings. Using these tricks, a chameleon is able to look gray while on a gray rock and brownish when he's on the ground.
A chameleon's body is flat from side to side. It looks as if it has been mashed out of shape, or is standing on edge. Bulging eyes that roll about separately are another feature that make the animal unusual. One eye may be looking at a leaf on the left side of his body while the other eye is following an insect that is crawling on the right.
The chameleon's feet grasp like a hand, instead of clinging by sharp claws as is the case with other lizards. Also, the creature has a long tail that curls into a spiral when it is not in use. It is one of the few lizards that have grasping tails. When he is on the branch of a tree, the chameleon can wrap his tail around a twig to help support his body.
The chameleon is a very slow moving creature. But when it is time to eat, he can move fast. He can catch an insect by swiftly shooting out his long tongue. A sticky, knoblike tip on the tongue swells out so that it can quickly catch a victim. The tongue is actually as long as the chameleon's body. It is controlled by extremely powerful muscles in the throat.
One of the unusual chameleons that you can find in southwestern Africa is called the three horned chameleon. About six inches in length, the animal looks very much like a tiny dinosaur.
Members of the lizard family can trace their ancestry back about 60 million years. Scientists say that some varieties were even able to fly in ancient times.