Chameleons have a unique, movable tail. It is an extension of the spine and can be completely curled up to make the chameleon appear larger. The animals make use of this, for example, when they threaten conspecifics. Due to the shape of the vertebrae, the tail can only be curled downwards – even if Disney somehow didn’t realise this. Tree-dwelling chameleons usually have a tail that is about as long as their body. One exception is Furcifer balteatus, which has proportionally the longest tail. Tree-dwelling chameleons use their tails for gripping when climbing and can easily hang their entire body weight from them. Ground-dwelling chameleons usually only have a short stumpy tail, which is only placed on the ground for stabilisation when walking.

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Photo: Tail of a Parson’s chameleon, photographed by Alex Laube