Chamaeleo calyptratus

The veiled chameleon can project its tongue approximately twice the length of its body. Like in salamanders, the tongue is projected ballistically. However, the mechanism of tongue projection in chameleons differs from that of salamanders in that the tongue accelerator muscle is launched from the mouth instead of the tongue skeleton, which stays behind. This veiled chameleon is capturing a suspended cricket, displaying the precision with which it can place its tongue. Tongue projection occurs 50 times faster than shown in this movie.

Our research on the veiled chameleon has revealed that they can project their tongues with high performance even when they are cold.