REPTILIA 



3^3 



America is largely herbivorous, but the young individuals feed upon 

 insect larvae. Adults will also capture small rodents and young 

 birds. The iguana is arboreal and grows to a length of six feet. 

 The flesh, tasting much like chicken, is considered a delicacy in 

 tropical America. 



.rv 



Fig. 171. Phrynosoma. (Courtesy ot" X. Y. Zool. Soc.) 



The chameleons {Chamaeleon vulgaris) are arboreal forms found 

 in the Old World, some in Africa and Arabia, others in India and in 

 Spain. The club-shaped tongue, half the length of the body, is 

 covered with glutinous material and is used in capturing insects. 

 The colors include green, blue, grey, brown, black and yellow. 

 Chameleons are able to change their color with extreme rapidity, 

 but do not, according to Ditmars, assume the colors of their back- 

 ground, as do fishes and amphibia. 



The Aynerican " chameleon " {Anolis carolinensis) is found in 

 Southeastern United States. It is not a true chameleon, but 

 changes color under changed conditions of light and temperature. 

 From ashy grey it will turn to a dull yellow or a vivid green. Its 

 food is meal-worms and flies and it drinks dew from leaves. It 

 reaches a length of six inches. 



Sub-Order Ophidia} (Gr. ophis, a snake.) — Snakes have a 



1 Much of the material on snakes in this text has been compiled from R. L. Ditmars' 

 Reptiles of the World and Reptile Book. Doctor Ditmars has inspected a part of the 

 MS. 



