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The Jackson's chameleon is a typical chameleon, which can be up to 30 centimetres long．They are usually bright green, although females are sometimes dull green or brown．Similar to other chameleons, these chameleons can change colour according to their mood or environment．It may become red or orange when predators are near．They have short necks, long prehensile tails, and eyes that focus independently — giving them 360 degree vision.
The chief dietary item of the Jackson's chameleon is insects．To catch insects, the Jackson's chameleon sticks out its long, sticky tongue．This fast moving tongue can reach up to 45 centimetres and can be fully extended in 1/16 of a second．It also feeds on water that falls from leaves.
The Jackson's chameleon can be found in forested, mountainous parts of Kenya and Tanzania in eastern Africa．They usually stay in trees and only come to the ground in order to mate or lay eggs．Females give birth to 8 to 30 young after a pregnancy of 5 or 6 months．Their lifespan is around 10 years．These reptiles are still common, but many have been illegally sold as exotic pets.
Word List
prehensile： able to be used like an arm or leg
exotic： unusual
You Practice
I．By the numbers—What do these numbers mean in the reading?
1）30 ____________________
2）360 ____________________
3）45 ____________________
4）8 to 30 ____________________
5）10 ____________________
II．Answer the following questions.
1）What does the Jackson's chameleon look like?
2）What is special about the Jackson's chameleon's eyes?
3）Where can Jackson's chameleons be found?
4）What do Jackson's chameleons eat?
5）Where do Jackson's chameleons spend most of their time?
III．True / False / Not Given—Write T if the sentence is true, F if it is not true, or NG if there is no information about this sentence.
____ 1）The tongue of the Jackson's chameleon is longer than its body．
____ 2）Male and female Jackson's chameleons are always the same colour．
____ 3）The tail of the Jackson's chameleon is very useful．
____ 4）The Jackson's chameleon is endemic to Africa．
____ 5）The Jackson's chameleon sometimes eats fruit．