Category: Reptiles
The black caiman is one of the biggest member of the alligator family – they are the largest predator in the Amazon basin and commonly reach lengths of 14 feet. They are generally more stout of body than other crocodilians. Large adults are able to overpower and eat almost any vertebrate unfortunate enough to come within striking range – even large river turtles are not immune to the immense force of the black caiman’s bite.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_caiman
http://crocodilian.com/cnhc/csp_mnig.htm
The Tongue-tastic Chameleon
The Chameleon is known for its ability to change colors, but that is not the only amazing feature they possess. Chameleon tongues are twice the length of their bodies (can you imagine having a 10-12 foot long tongue?) and they use it for hunting! When it sees a tasty bug, the chameleon coils the muscles in its tongue in much the same way a hunter tightens the string on their bow, then the tongue shoots out, striking with incredible speed, sticking to the hapless insect as it is dragged back to the chameleon’s mouth. And believe it or not, smaller chamelons are sometimes even stronger and faster than their larger cousins: the tiny Rhampholeon spinosus’s tongue accelerates at a rate equivalent to your car going from 0-60 miles per hour in 1/100 of a second, and it rarely misses its target!
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