Abstract
We measured the force required to pull chameleons from perches of varying diameters and the sprint speed of chameleons on flat surfaces and on perches of varying diameters. The two species examined differ in their degree of terrestriality: Chamaeleo jacksonii is almost completely arboreal, whereas C. dilepis is semi-arboreal and is often observed on the ground. We tested the following hypotheses: (a) each species has relatively greater sprinting and clinging abilities on surfaces corresponding to those it uses most frequently; or (b) a trade-off exists between maximizing clinging and sprinting abilities. The results support the second hypothesis: C. dilepis runs faster than C. jacksonii on almost all diameters, but has poorer clinging ability on all diameters
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