max’s science project

#b1 this picture shows what a chameleon’s skin looks like under a microscope. It is interesting because it shows the tiny multi colored skin cells

#b2 the chameleon is very well adapted to its environment.  It has a long sticky tongue which helps it to catch bugs more easily.  Another adaptation is the chameleon’s zygodacylous feet [feet with four toes].  This adaptation allows the chameleon to wrap its feet around a branch and stabilize itself. But the coolest adaptation that helps the chameleon interact with it’s environment is its ability to change colour. This ability to change colour acts as a form of communication with other chameleons.

 

#b3

The chameleon is a multi celled organism which is part of the Animalia kingdom. This means it can move around and has to eat other living things to live. Most chameleons lay eggs but some species give live birth.  Chameleons, whether they hatch from eggs or are born live, begin their life about 1 inch long and end up being about 7 inches long.

 

A1 In my experiment I am looking to find out what causes a chameleon to change colour. The variables in this experiment will be: heat, light, amount of food and water, space, another chameleon, and terrain. The way I can implement controls on these variables is by independently increasing heat, light, food, and water given to the chameleon.  If a change in colour occurs I will know which variable caused the change.  If none of these variables cause a change I will then move on to testing tank size (space) by placing the chameleon in tanks increasing in size.  If this does not cause a change I will introduce another chameleon into the tank.  The final test will be to introduce the chameleon to a variety of terrains, starting with a simple plain terrain and working up to a very exotic and foreign terrain (a terrain that the chameleon has never seen before).  My consistent and standardized approach (introducing variables one at a time) will allow me to figure out which variable caused the change.  If I introduced all of the variables at once I would not be able to figure out what caused the change.

 

A2 If, when testing the light and heat variable, no change in the chameleons’ colour occurs, I will replace out the heat lamp’s light bulb because it probably is malfunctioning.  I will also check the thermometer inside the tank to make sure the lamp is giving off enough heat.  If necessary I will replace the thermometer as well.  If the chameleon does not eat the food or drink the water I will replace both with new fresh food/water.  If the extra chameleon which I add into the tank is causing the first chameleon to be aggressive I will switch out this chameleon with another.  If the chameleon shows no response to all of my terrain options I will add more options of terrain.

 

 

 

#1 Most people think chameleons change color to blend in with there environment. But the truth is chameleons change color according to there mood.

 

#2 Chameleons have tiny multi coloured skin cells.  When a chameleon changes color it does so by retracting all of the coloured skin cells that are not needed. The result is the chameleon changing color.

 

#3 Chameleon’s tongues are two times longer than it’s body. It is very long and sticky which helps it to catch unsuspecting insects with ease.

 

#4 the chameleon’s tail is very long and strong to help it

Balance on a tree while using its front feet to do other things such as climbing.

 

#5 there are more than 160 species of chameleons which live all over the world. Most of these species are found inAfrica.  People also keep chameleons as pets because of their unique beauty and their ability to change colour. If you decide to keep a chameleon as a pet it is very important to keep it happy and healthy.  This means feeding it live food (crickets, grasshoppers) and giving it a generous sized terrarium that is kept at the right temperature.  If this isn’t done the chameleon may die.

 

my final question

What did chameleons look like before they evolved

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