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Reposted by Anderson Lab

IUCN SSC Chameleon Specialist Group @iucnchameleons.bsky.social · 19d

A reevaluation of chameleon foraging mode using movement- & attack-based indices. Chameleons spent most of the day in stationary positions & fed more when stationary than when moving, suggesting they should be considered ambush foragers rather than "cruise foragers".
academic.oup.com/cz/advance-a...

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · Sep 10

Some nice coverage on our new chameleon and salamander feeding paper: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujjq...

Ballistic Tongues: How do they do that? | The Bat Signal

YouTube video by Dan Riskin

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Anderson Lab

Current Biology @currentbiology.bsky.social · Sep 8

In our latest issue, we're going ballistic!

On the cover, a chameleon capturing prey, using its ballistic tongue, driven by a linear actuator, a skeletal rod squeezed out by muscles. So ingenious is the solution that lungless salamanders evolved it too... 🦎

www.cell.com/current-biol...

A Wolkberg dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion transvaalense) using its ballistic tongue to capture prey.

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Reposted by Anderson Lab

IUCN SSC Chameleon Specialist Group @iucnchameleons.bsky.social · Aug 28

While similar mechanistically, ballistic tongues of chameleons & salamanders were each assembled via a different sequence of innovations, highlighting how biomechanical modularity, rather than exceptional materials, underlies this vertebrate ballistic innovation.

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Reposted by Anderson Lab

IUCN SSC Chameleon Specialist Group @iucnchameleons.bsky.social · Aug 28

Chameleons & salamanders evolved a sliding-based linear actuator to launch the tongue via muscular squeezing of a tapered skeletal rod, contrasting with tendon-driven pulling mechanisms common in most musculoskeletal systems, allowing acceleration along a straight path.
www.cell.com/current-biol...

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · Aug 15

A 2nd clutch of Bradypodion melanocephalum from Durban was born in the lab this week (in addition to the clutch from Hilton ~2.5 weeks ago)! Here a 2 day old neonate is next to an ~12 week old juvenile (clutch has grown 6-10x in mass since birth). Lots of cool data being collected in the lab!

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · Jul 26

A clutch of Bradypodion cf. melanocephalum “Hilton” born in the lab today! Immediately getting some metabolic rate data from them to follow through ontogeny! Have also been getting metabolic rate data from the mother for the last 3 months and will continue as she recovers from birth as well!

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · Jul 7

Anderson lab members are coauthoring 11 talks and posters with collaborators at the Joint Meeting of Ichthyology and Herpetology (JMIH) this week in St. Paul, MN!

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · May 31

Two female Trioceros jacksonii, which appear to be T. j. xantholophus with rostral horns, from 2,130m elevation on the western/southwestern slopes of Mount Kenya.

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · May 31

Trioceros hoehnelii from 2,130m elevation on the western/southwestern slopes of Mount Kenya!

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · May 31

Some Trioceros hoehnelii from the Naro Moru route on Mount Kenya!

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · May 27

Aberdares Montane Dwarf Chameleon (Trioceros kinangopensis)!

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · May 27

Kenya Montane Viper (Montatheris hindii)!

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · May 27

High-casqued Chameleons (Trioceros hoehnelii)!

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · May 27

Members of the Anderson Lab (past and present) in Kenya. Of course they are finding lots of cool chameleons and other herps! Stay tuned for some cool highlights!

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · Apr 22

Headed home from a successful trip!

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · Apr 15

Recording feeding trials at different temperatures using high-speed video to look at thermal effects on performance in elastic recoil- and muscle-powered movements.

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · Apr 12

Searching for Bradypodion sp. “Emerald” (Emerald Dwarf Chameleons) and a couple things along the way.

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · Apr 11

Finding and photographing Bradypodion thamnobates, and animal care in the field at Colin Tilbury’s house.

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · Apr 10

Finishing off some collection and checking out some other local chameleon taxa.
Bradypodion cf. melanocephalum “Hilton” & Bradypodion cf. thamnobates “Karkloof”

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · Apr 8

Some good luck finding chameleons & some looks at a few local snakes thanks to help from local herpers Nick Evans & Carla Goede!
Bradypodion melanocephalum, Chamaeleo dilepis, Python natalensis hatchlings, & Dastpeltis inornata.

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · Apr 4

Off for a round of fieldwork in South Africa! Pictures from the trip and work to follow as usual.

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · Apr 4

Further, we show that supercontracting muscle in chameleons may share common contractile and structural properties due to a common origin from occipital somites. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/... 6/6

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · Apr 4

We propose this broadened length-tension relationship is achieved through sarcomere length non-uniformity with muscle fibers across the muscle belly at different starting lengths during contraction, resulting in some fibers shortening onto their force plateau while others shorten off it. 5/6

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Anderson Lab @andersonlabusd.bsky.social · Apr 4

One does so with perforated z-discs, representing the 2nd known example of supercontracting muscle in vertebrates. The other, on the other hand, has typical, uninterrupted z-discs & should therefore be limited in the range of lengths over which it is able to change & continue to exert force. 4/6

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