The Biology of Chameleons

Contributors viii Foreword xi 1 Biology of the Chameleons: An Introduction 1 Krystal A. Tolley and Anthony Herrel 2 Chameleon Anatomy 7 Christopher V. Anderson and Timothy E. Higham 2.1 Musculoskeletal Morphology 7 2.2 External Morphology and Integument 37 2.3 Sensory Structures 43 2.4 Visceral Systems 50 3 Chameleon Physiology 57 Anthony Herrel 3.1 Neurophysiology 57 3.2 Muscle Physiology 59 3.3 Metabolism, Salt, and Water Balance 60 3.4 Temperature 61 3.5 Skin Pigmentation, Color Change, and the Role of Ultraviolet Light 61 3.6 Developmental Physiology 62 4 Function and Adaptation of Chameleons 63 Timothy E. Higham and Christopher V. Anderson 4.1 Locomotion 64 4.2 Feeding 72 5 Ecology and Life History of Chameleons 85 G. John Measey, Achille Raselimanana, and Anthony Herrel 5.1 Habitat 86 5.2 Life-History Traits 97 5.3 Foraging and Diet 104 5.4 Predators 109 6 Chameleon Behavior and Color Change 115 Devi Stuart-Fox 6.1 Sensory Systems and Modes of Communication 116 6.2 Color Change 117 6.3 Social and Reproductive Behavior 120 6.4 Sexual Dimorphism: Body Size and Ornamentation 126 6.5 Antipredator Behavior 126 7 Evolution and Biogeography of Chameleons 131 Krystal A. Tolley and Michele Menegon 7.1 Evolutionary Relationships 131 7.2 Diversity and Distribution 134 7.3 Regional Diversity 138 7.4 Patterns of Alpha Diversity 146 7.5 Patterns of Beta Diversity 147 8 Overview of the Systematics of the Chamaeleonidae 151 Colin R. Tilbury 8.1 Evolution of Methodology in Chameleon Taxonomy 153 8.2 Current Status of Taxonomy of the Chamaeleonidae 155 8.3 Subfamilial Groupings within Chamaeleonidae 155 8.4 Overview of Extant Genera 158 9 Fossil History of Chameleons 175 Arnau Bolet and Susan E. Evans 9.1 Phylogenetic Relationships of Iguania and Acrodonta 175 9.2 Fossil Record of Acrodonta 179 9.3 Origins of Acrodonta 187 9.4 Origins of Chamaeleonidae 190 10 Chameleon Conservation 193 Richard Jenkins, G. John Measey, Christopher V. Anderson, and Krystal A. Tolley 10.1 Conservation Status of Chameleons 193 10.2 Trade in Chameleons 201 10.3 Chameleons and Global Change 211 10.4 The Way Forward 214 Appendix 217 Abbreviations 223 References 225 Photo Credits 267 Index 269