Panther chameleons

Over 40% of the world’s known chameleon species occur in Madagascar. Several already discovered species are still waiting for their scientific description, and thus still lack a name.
On this island, they are represented by three endemic genera: Brookesia, Calumna and Furcifer. 
Furcifer chameleons count about 20 described species. Among them, we find the panther chameleon Furcifer pardalis. It is a species found in the eastern and northern parts of Madagascar and first described by the French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1829. Its generic name Furcifer is derived from the Latin “furci”, meaning "forked" and refers to the shape of the animal's feet, while the specific name “pardalis” refers to the animals' markings, meaning "leopard" or "spotted like a panther". 
Contrary to many myths, chameleons are not able to change every colour to adapt to their background: they have their own, limited “paint pot”, that is different according to the species and the local variety, and cannot take on any colour. In a form of sexual dimorphism, females are smaller, with less vibrant tints than males. Male panther chameleons are usually of a vibrant blue, red, green or orange, with numerous other colour phases and patterns. Typically, panther chameleons from Nosy Be are blue-green, emerald-green or have turquoise bodies. Females generally remain light brown or pale green with shades of pink or bright orange, no matter where they are found, even if the shades and patterns can change according to the location. Chameleons can change colour with astonishing speed. Today it is known that this is not for camouflage primarily, in response to a changing background. Colour change is affected by a complex combination of external and internal clues: light intensity, temperature, emotional state,... As an example, they can change colour to better absorb or reflect radiant heat, or to blend in within the natural habitat.
Moreover, the different patterns and colours provide other chameleons with information about the species, sex, reproductive propensity and current mood, thus it is a way to communicate between specimens. For instance, a very dark-coloured chameleon is stressed, while a mature female displays softer colour hues like peach, rose or violet, when receptive to breeding, in contrast with a gravid one, that turns dark brown or black with orange, red or pink striping to signify to males they have no intention of mating. Furthermore, during courtship, males exhibit their brightest colours to impress the females and chase away other males. The ability to rapidly change colour cannot be achieved until a panther chameleon reaches sexual maturity, commonly within 5-9 months.
Like most species of chameleons, the panther chameleon is very territorial. It spends the majority of its life in isolation, apart from mating sessions.
Like all chameleons, panther chameleons exhibit a specialized arrangement of toes. On each foot, the five toes are fused into a group of two and one of three, giving the foot a tongs-like appearance. These specialized feet allow the panther chameleon a tight grip on narrow branches. Each toe is equipped with a sharp claw to gain traction on surfaces while climbing.
Also the tail is prehensile, having the effect of a “fifth hand” and allowing the chameleon to hang quite safely only by it.
The peculiar eyes of chameleons function like a gun turret: the upper and lower eyelids are joined, with only a pinhole large enough for the pupil to see through; the eyes can rotate and focus separately to observe two different objects simultaneously, moving independently one from the other. They have a 342° field of view: only above the back directly behind the head, there is a blind spot of 18° where chameleons cannot see anything. When prey is located, both eyes can be focused in the same direction. They have keen eyesight for reptiles, letting them see small insects from a long (5-10-m) distance. Ultraviolet light is part of the visible spectrum of panther chameleons, but they have no sufficient pigments for night vision, thus they are diurnal animals.
Panther chameleons have very long tongues, which they are capable of rapidly extending out of the mouth. The tongue can be extended up to 2.5 times the body length, at a speed of about 26 body lengths per second! The tongue of the chameleons is a complex arrangement of bone, muscle and sinew, a perfect catching machine. At the tip of this elastic tongue, a muscular, covered in thick mucus structure forms a suction cup. Once the tip sticks to a prey item, it is drawn quickly back into the mouth, where the panther chameleon's strong jaws crush it and it is consumed.
Females usually only live two to three years after laying eggs because of the stress put on their bodies. An important discovery made in the last few years is that females seem to be able to sense their internal vitamin D condition, recognize an external UV source and voluntarily expose themselves to that source when they are vitamin D deficient. This ability is important since the eggs fail to hatch if the mother does not have adequate vitamin D, from either UV exposure or dietary intake, because she cannot supply enough vitamin D to their eggs to facilitate the developing embryos to form their skeletons.
The hatching of the newborn chameleons occurs thanks to the “egg tooth”, a sharp, calcified protrusion on the tip of the upper jawbone, that later falls off.
Another funny feature of chameleons is their ability to slow-motion walking: they often freeze and remain unmoving for long periods, which may aid in going unnoticed by predators. This “hesitant” method of walking, with their peculiar fore-and-aft swaying action, helps them also to judge distances.
The chameleons typically feed on small invertebrates, most are insects and arachnids. Studies in Madagascar show how the preferred food seems to be winged insects, like butterflies.
There are a wide variety of cultural beliefs concerning these reptiles, according to each region and tribal group of Madagascar. This is why only a few people on this island voluntarily touch them: these animals are thought to be spirits by many Malagasy people. One of these myths tells that the chameleon can see into the future with one eye, into the past with the other eye.