What do chameleons and leopards have in common? For one, they are both really great at camouflaging themselves. The leopard has a beautiful coat with rosette spots for camouflage, and the chameleon can change colour if threatened.
Still, this little chameleon didn’t even attempt to change colour when a stealthy leopard spotted it climbing up a tree trunk. It clearly wasn’t threatened, as it remained a beautiful shade of lime green, standing out quite clearly against the brown of the trunk it was scaling.
Leopard spies chameleon climbing up tree trunk
The chameleon walked slowly up the tree and must’ve caught the leopard’s attention, as the leopard took its place at the tree’s base and watched it for a few moments.
The leopard seemed intrigued by the tiny lizard.
The lizard remained bright green as it climbed upwards. This made it easy for the leopard to track its movements.
The leopard’s whiskers pricked up with interest, as did its tail.
Interestingly, chameleons don’t just change colour for camouflage. They also change colour for communication, temperature regulation, and mood expression. Males often display brighter colours to attract mates or ward off rivals.
Their colour shifts are due to nanocrystals in their skin, which reflect light differently depending on how they are spaced.
Chameleon continues to climb upwards
The leopard stood less than a metre away watching the chameleon, and the lizard must’ve noticed it. Chameleon’s have eyes which allow for a 360-degree field of vision. Each eye can also move independently of the other. This helps chameleons scan for predators and prey at the same time without moving their heads.
These special eyes must’ve seen the leopard. However, the chameleon simply refused to be intimidated by the leopard. It remained bright green.
Leopard decides to follow chameleon up tree
Another thing that chameleons and leopards have in common is that they are both good at climbing. The leopard watched the chameleon closely as the small creature climbed and eventually decided to follow the chameleon up the trunk, showing forth its own special skills at climbing.
Chameleons have zygodactylous feet. This means that two toes pointing forward and two backwards. This helps them to grip branches securely. Many species also have prehensile tails, which act like a fifth limb for balance and grip.
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Leopards are powerful climbers. The are capable of ascending vertical tree trunks with ease. Their strong, muscular limbs and sharp, retractable claws give them an excellent grip on bark and branches. This allows them to climb trees quickly. They can do this even when they are carrying heavy prey.
A rare encounter of two incredible creatures
The brave green lizard continued to hold the leopard’s attention and it seems there was a mutual respect between the two creatures: each one adept at camouflage skills, and each one skilled at climbing.
This special encounter showed a rare interaction between two masters at camouflage and climbing.
Michael will no doubt cherish the memory of this special sighting and the courageous lizard who evaded becoming a snack for one of nature’s most cunning predators.