Chameleons’ astounding color-changing skin and lightning-fast tongues make them one of the most unusual lizards in the world.

The rosette-nosed pygmy might be tiny, but its tongue packs a powerful punch. Launching at an impressive 8,500 feet per second, the speed of this chameleon’s tongue is faster than space shuttles and jet fighters.

What’s even more interesting is that the speed of this chameleon’s tongue makes it among the animals with the fastest capability for acceleration on the planet.

Reposted from moods via cieli

1. There are more than 20,000 species in the world. Biologists believe that they will discover many more of these animals, with many of them being discovered in remote areas.
2. Some of these insects that turn into moths can sting, but butterfly caterpillars cannot sting.
3. The vast majority of them eat plants, but a few will eat insects and other caterpillars.
4. They may spin a single pupa, or they may spin a cocoon around themselves before spinning an additional pupa around the cocoon.
5. The caterpillar stage can last from 1-to-11 months, depending on the species. The largest caterpillars in the world can reach up to 6 inches in length! Read More »

 This video clip shows - in detail - how the

is practically eyeless (there is no natural light at this depth). Its long, bony fins are thought to be strengthened by fluids pumped into them when the fish is ‘standing’ to be more rigid. These fins can also feel the vibrations made by approaching creatures in the muddy sediment. When the tripod fish is swimming, the long fins float softly (and a little awkwardly) beneath it, as seen here during an #octoodyssey expedition ROV dive.⁣
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The pair of erect pectoral fins just behind its head has two general purposes: they act like antennae, providing extra sensory information to the tripod fish about incoming prey, and can also steer floating prey into the vicinity of its mouth. Read More »