Taste

Chameleons have tongues that extend between one and one-and-one-half body lengths with dead-eyed accuracy and blurring speed. A 5V2-inchtongue reaches full extension in one-sixteenth of a second.

The tongue consists of three primary components: sticky tip, the retractor muscles (which rolls the tongue back in) and the accelerator muscles (which throws the tongue out at the prey with incredible speed). When at rest, the whole assembly sits at the bottom of the mouth, the base placed down in the throat behind the head. Before striking, the lizard moves it toward the front of the mouth like a cannon on a sled. Muscles raise the hyoid bone (which support the floor of the mouth) above the lower jaw. After aiming with the entire head, the chameleon is ready to fire.

The tongue is covered with sticky saliva which helps the chameleons to have a better grip of the prey. If the chameleon inadvertently captures an inedible object, the tongue pushes the object out of the mouth and hunting begins anew.