Chameleons are known for their uncanny camouflage abilities however these strange creatures also have one of the fastest and most powerful tongues in the vertebrate world, where this new research reveals how these tongues are just as fast as they are also powerful, captured in this new ultra slow motion video.
Researchers from Brown University led by biologist Christopher Anderson, examined 20 chameleon species of different sizes in order to test the upper limit of their tongue strength and performance. Using a cricket bait that is held dangling, the chameleons were one by one captured as their tongues sprang into action from a certain distance.
The team measured the distance, speed and the acceleration of the chameleons' tongues, using a special camera that can shoot at 3,000 frames per second. Watch the video here.
Anderson and his team discovered that the ballistic tongue projection of the tiniest chameleons about the size of a human thumb can range up to 60 miles per hour in just 100th of a second. This Rhampholeon spinosus chameleon's tongue also possesses a power output of 14,400 watts per kilogram.
Past studies overlooked this interesting ability since the smallest species of chameleons have not yet been measured. Anderson explains that smaller species apparently have a higher performance than larger ones, where this new study can offer new insights about smaller chameleon species and their higher performance values.
The team's analysis revealed how the smaller the chameleon, the higher its peak acceleration along with relative power and even the distance of the tongue as it extends in relation to its body size. The tiny Rhampholeon spinosus measures about 4.7 centimeters long where its tongue is 2.5 times as long as its body length where the larger Furcifer oustaleti produced a peak acceleration 18 percent less than the Rhampholeon.
The chameleons' tongues work when they preload energy via the elastic tissues in the tongue and when it is released, the recoil adds up to the tongue performance. The team believes that smaller chameleons are more effective in catching prey faster since they need to consume more energy in relation to their body weight for survival.
This new study is published in the journal, Scientific Reports.