The panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) is a species of chameleon found in the tropical forests of Madagascar. The word chameleon derives from an Ancient Greek compound of “on the ground” and “lion”. The specific name pardalis refers to the animals markings, as it is Latin for “leopard” or “spotted like a panther”.
Chameleons exhibit a specialized arrangement of toes. On each foot, the five toes are fused into a group of two and a group of three. These specialized feet allow a tight grip on narrow branches. Each toe is equipped with a sharp claw to gain traction on surfaces such as bark when climbing.
Panther chameleons have very long tongues (sometimes longer than their own body length) which they are capable of rapidly extending out of the mouth to capture prey. All chameleons have a natural color range with which they are born, and is dictated by their species. It is affected by temperature, mood, and light.
All pictures were taken at Zoo Augsburg, a lovely place for many animals and always worth a visit.