Resident Discovery Centre chameleon Leon did something really weird this morning - he just about doubled his size.

Photo: Nicole Davis  Source: Museum Victoria

We know he can flatten himself out to increase his height to look all tough and menacing to rival males or predators, but this morning, he was both twice his size in height, and width. He looked like he was about to explode. Or that mysteriously overnight he had been replaced by an entirely different, larger animal. His colours were also really, really dark.

We panicked, thinking he was ill, and phoned one of his keepers in the Live Exhibits department and told her that he was big and fat - she immediately asked if he was really dark too. We said yes. She told us not to worry about him exploding - apparently he has been known to do this of a morning; he will stretch himself out and puff himself up to maximise the surface area of his skin so he can absorb as much light as possible to warm himself up - presumably the darker he is the more light he will absorb as well.

So, today we learned yet another interesting thing about chameleons... although, fat and puffy isn't exactly how I'd like to look while sunning myself on the beach...

Photo: Nicole Davis  Source: Museum Victoria

Photo: Siobhan Motherway  Source: Museum Victoria

Every few days, we are lucky enough to have a visit from one of the Live Exhibits staff. In most establishments, a person carrying a canister full of dusty cockroaches wouldn't receive such a warm welcome, however Leon's feeding time always draws a crowd!

The menu consists of a few crickets or cockroaches, served at the end of special forceps. These special "feeder" insects are raised by the Live Exhibits staff, and are garnished with a calcium powder to ensure Leon gets all the nutrition he needs. Because Leon's colour-changing abilities tend to rely on his mood, a good feed soon has him flushing a lovely bright green.

Leon is known to be a relatively lazy feeder; some chameleons can stretch their tongues out almost the length of their bodies! However, Leon will stretch to an inch or two, appropriately tantalised with a calcium-dusted insect. The performance usually draws a fascinated or disgusted response from the crowd, as people catch sight of his pale, sticky tongue.

Photo: Siobhan Motherway  Source: Museum Victoria

Photo: Meg Lomax  Source: Museum Victoria

Discovery Centre resident Leon the Chameleon is a reptile, and as we know, reptiles often shed their skins - Leon is no different...

Recently, he has been looking a little scruffy, with large translucent pieces of scaley skin hanging off bits off his body, waiting to drop off. Apparently, the temptation to pull these bits off for him proved too great for one of our Live Exhibits keepers who took to him with a pair of tweezers in an effort to tidy him up a bit.

The result was a plastic bag full of pieces of chameleon skin sitting on my desk.

Photo: Meg Lomax  Source: Museum Victoria

So after a good shed, he's back to his handsome self now.

Further to Meg's introduction of Leon in the previous post, an overheard comment from a young visitor to Melbourne Museum's Discovery Centre (possibly getting his consonants confused?):

"The Wizard! The Wizard! Wizards can turn two different colours!"

The newest member of the Melbourne Museum Discovery Centre has arrived! Leon the Chameleon has recently taken up residence as the latest Live Exhibits display in the centre.

Leon is not actually entirely new to the centre though - he spent some time with us quite a few months back, but he has changed considerably since his last visit. During his first stint with us he was very uncomfortable with all the attention from visitors and staff alike, doing his best to flatten himself out and hide behind his branch as we approached, showing off dark and moody reddish-brown colours.

Now though, he is a changed chameleon! He is certainly living up to the common belief that chameleons change their colour to match their surroundings - you have to work hard to spot him in his bright green leafy environment. The brightness of his colour though comes more from the fact that he has learned to feel more comfortable and content now with his adoring public.

He's not Murray the Carpet Python, but he's growing on me...