Chameleons

If you are some of the few people who takes time to read my blog, you may remembered that a few posts ago that I promised to post a few general knowledge info online. I really wanted to but I forgot about it and only was reminded of my friend a couple of minutes ago...didn't think that people do pay attention to the nonsense that I post in here...well anyways...one of the interesting misconceptions about general knowledge that I found was a fact about Chameleons.

Chameleons don't change colour to match their background. NEVER have; never will. Complete myth and utter fabrications of the natural world. The infact change colour as a result of different emotional states. If they happen to match the background, it's entirely coincidental.

The chameleon's skin contains several layers of specialised cells called Chromataphores which breaks down as Chroma means Colour in Greek and Pherein means To Carry, each with different coloured pigments. Altering the balance between these layers causes the skin to reflect different kinds of light, making chameleons a kind of walking colour-wheel.

The myth that they change colour to suit the background was believed to have started as far back as 240BC by a Greek writer Antigonous of Carystus. Although Aristotle had already made the connection between the colour change to fear, the myth has rise again to this day and perhaps the only thing most people think they know about chameleons.

Chameleons can rotate and focus their eye independently to look in two completely different directions at once, which is a very interesting ability to have..imagine being able to do that. I am sure that would totally bring a new meaning to the phrase 'the eye at the back of the head'. Oh..one more thing about chameleons that I personally was not aware about is the fact that they are DEAF.

I will post new ones soon...I just need to pick out the ones that are the most common misconceptions to us in general.