Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-07-29
A PYGMY ALLIGATOR
THE FLORIDA CHAMELEON lsA QUEER
LITTLE ANIMAL.

passed Among nusdrupeds as q Fly
Made IL House Pet.
One of the most characteristic creatures
III Florida Is tho SO called chameleon or
py:,ny lizard (Anolis principa!is), which
is found in all parts of the state AL
though called u chameleon. it benrs no TO-
scinbiancc to its nnncs;kc in Asia. and
Africa. except the power to change Its hue,
an.i that change is due TO ~ desire to pro
cur. food or to protect itself from foes by
assuming the color of its Immediate sur
rui,ndngS.
If placed on II piece Of white paper, it
Incomes of ~ snowy hue in appearance in
u f"w moments. Transferred to II bush, it
becomes pale green, and placed on tho
gr,tlld it assumes tho color of the soil
very rapidly
Its ordinary hue on the ground is u
bruwnish black, and it may retain that
for some time after climbing IL tree, but
OH the approach of u foo its transforms
ton scene takes place with magical r,..
pi,lity.
Tranquility or anger, sunshine or shati-
ow hunger or plenty of food, affects its
color, which seems to change with tho
state of its feelings
Few persons would consider that this
graceful and active little creature bore any
relationship to such ungainly brutes as
| the crocodile and alligator, yet it is /.
member of the same family and one of the
connecting links between the saurians and
ophidiais, or snakes
1t is inerclya pyg1ny alligator adapted
to living entirely OF land and modified in
form and character by its mode OF life
Among its kindred are the gavials sinks
crocndl1cS, gcckoes and igllnnas. All arc
carnivorous, the smaller feeding on in
sccts and the larger on whatever they can
capture. One OF the nearest living rell-
tivcs of the chameleon in the United States
| Is the ella monster of Arizona, yet no two
| allied creatures can be more dissilniur in
character, the former being active. grace
| ful nnd gentle, the latter i'll tempered.
moody and sluggish and s,crcting "a poison
| SO vcnnnious that it is dangerous even to
man and the higher qll,drupeds. Tho
| CHA monster is Il foot In length and tho
chameleon about six inches
All lizards present tho phenomenon OF
| being able to renew their tails after they
have been cut off, and the tails retain life
for considerable time after being severed
from tho body.
Tho cnudul OF u lizard, being brittle and
easily snapped of, gave rise to the tales in
circulation among old farmers CONCERNING
the glass snake, which could fall to pieces
| on being hit and then rcunitn, no Iluttcr
how far apart the pieces might be I.
The chameleon tail is three inches long
and tapers to Il thrcalikc point. The head
is Hat and somewhat pyriform; the eyes
are gentle in appearance, bright and alert;
the teeth sharp, fine and numerous and
the body long and slender.
1t has four legs, and the hind pair are
specially fitted for rapid running and long
jumping, being widely set and elongated
Tho feet nro llrgc. compared to tho size OF
tho body, and the toes broad spreading
| These characteristics enable it to Jump
very high and to travel over ground with
a celebrity which fully entities it to tho
name of swift. have seen it jump two
feet into tho air after II fly and outrun "a
cat In distance Of 80 feet.
| The chameleon is unsurpassed among
| qultiruprtlS as /, nycatcher and is us effect
Two in this way on trees the toad is on
| tho ground. 1t wanders over /, tree for
hours together, closely scanning tho foil
! ago and promptly gobbing down all tho
| edible insects; it meets
| Tho dainty manner in which it holds an
! insect in its mouth before dcvouriny it is
rather amusing, for it looks as if it were
| rcveling In anticipation. 1t may carry a
| lily III this mnnner for several minutes be-
fore eating 1T, just rs IL cat carries a
! mouse, then sulp it suddenly.
| t. nni.,no,sn,, ,n,. I.im :; az
never repeat the effort in my presence for
| r,,,,,n. nv Va '''o 'N'' - toi'''S VI 'ho
Via ,,or,- ,,,,
tn, chameleon h,s fn,,I,. th,t ,r., 1880 49,,
| ,nu,rnn, ,b.,, ,..,I a,,,.;,>n; 49,. -
| of life
| ~ ,.;u ror ;,,,+, ;,, 4,
nn,,hnr " ,bn ;,,h.,I,it,,.,l ~ 49, .u 70
| II ,,on for,, 90, a,, r,,,,n., 80, :, :.
hui IN ~, ,,,.,,, =. ~, ,, 80 =. ~ 80
nor ont 81 ,,,h md =. - e., s,,,,,,. -.
cntcbiny insr,.ts Ik,nhi,.s sh,,nIa -.
for, II. nrn,r,,t,,l FRAN, it> ,,,,",s,,
Tho most ruthless nnn,nv ~ ~, c,n,,,o
leon il tn, strike mr. hnt,.h.r III ~, hnn,,,,s.
it poumcs uunn II su,l,,rniv MI t,,'in,,
it to n cony,,,i,nt tr.., ~. Insh r.,stnns :.
on II thorn with mi,n l,.,ti., ~ ~,
creatures am, l.,v,s r. s,,snn,,,.a ,,,,iI !.
is needed for food This hr1 d..st,ovs FAM
more than il requires. mnnv h,.in,, lsft ~,