October 25, 2009 13:21 by
megResident 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 Or that mysteriously overnight he had been replaced by an entirely different, larger animal.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
70472464-dbdd-4b6a-b99b-a9419d5a7233|1|5.0