The Mechanism of Projection of the Chameleon’s Tongue

Abstract

The projection of the chameleon’s tongue constitutes a unique problem in muscular organisation. It has frequently been recorded that a chameleon can project its tongue to a distance as great, or slightly greater than the length of the animal’s body from nose to anus, and that projection takes place with instantaneous rapidity. Various theories have been advanced to explain this remarkable mechanism, yet still it remains imperfectly understood. The variety of the explanations offered is clearly due to the fact that investigation of this problem has been entirely anatomical, and that no attempt has hitherto been made to apply the test of experiment to it Such an experimental investigation forms the subject of this paper. The experiments here described deal with the tongue, the hyoid apparatus and the accessory muscles, and permit of the formulation of a complete account of this highly complicated and highly perfected response.