The Biology of Chameleons
- Berkeley : University of California Press, (c)2013.
- 1 online resource (304 pages)
Description based upon print version of record.
Includes bibliographies and index.
Cover; Title; Copyright; Contents; Contributors; Foreword; Colour Plates; 1 Biology of the Chameleons: An Introduction; 2 Chameleon Anatomy; 2.1 Musculoskeletal Morphology; 2.2 External Morphology and Integument; 2.3 Sensory Structures; 2.4 Visceral Systems; 3 Chameleon Physiology; 3.1 Neurophysiology; 3.2 Muscle Physiology; 3.3 Metabolism, Salt, and Water Balance; 3.4 Temperature; 3.5 Skin Pigmentation, Color Change, and the Role of Ultraviolet Light; 3.6 Developmental Physiology; 4 Function and Adaptation of Chameleons; 4.1 Locomotion; 4.2 Feeding; 5 Ecology and Life History of Chameleons 5.1 Habitat5.2 Life-History Traits; 5.3 Foraging and Diet; 5.4 Predators; 6 Chameleon Behavior and Color Change; 6.1 Sensory Systems and Modes of Communication; 6.2 Color Change; 6.3 Social and Reproductive Behavior; 6.4 Sexual Dimorphism: Body Size and Ornamentation; 6.5 Antipredator Behavior; 7 Evolution and Biogeography of Chameleons; 7.1 Evolutionary Relationships; 7.2 Diversity and Distribution; 7.3 Regional Diversity; 7.4 Patterns of Alpha Diversity; 7.5 Patterns of Beta Diversity; 8 Overview of the Systematics of the Chamaeleonidae; 8.1 Evolution of Methodology in Chameleon Taxonomy 8.2 Current Status of Taxonomy of the Chamaeleonidae8.3 Subfamilial Groupings within Chamaeleonidae; 8.4 Overview of Extant Genera; 9 Fossil History of Chameleons; 9.1 Phylogenetic Relationships of Iguania and Acrodonta; 9.2 Fossil Record of Acrodonta; 9.3 Origins of Acrodonta; 9.4 Origins of Chamaeleonidae; 10 Chameleon Conservation; 10.1 Conservation Status of Chameleons; 10.2 Trade in Chameleons; 10.3 Chameleons and Global Change; 10.4 The Way Forward; Appendix; Abbreviations; References; Photo Credits; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; X; Z
They change color depending on their mood. They possess uniquely adapted hands and feet distinct from other tetrapods. They feature independently movable eyes. This comprehensive volume delves into these fascinating details and thorough research about one of the most charismatic families of reptiles-Chameleonidae.Written for professional herpetologists, scholars, researchers, and students, this book takes readers on a voyage across time to discover everything that is known about chameleon biology: anatomy, physiology, adaptations, ecology, behavior, biogeography, phylogeny, classificat.