Chameleon tongues snappy even when cold

Elastic collagen tissue provides an edge over other cold-blooded hunters

Cool weather typically weakens muscle power in cold-blooded creatures, but new data show that chameleons can nab prey even at near-freezing temperatures thanks to an elastic, energy-storing sheath of collagen inside their tongues.

QUICK TRICK A chameleon doesn’t depend on muscle power to flick its tongue, so it can nab prey in cool temperatures that stymie other cold-blooded predators.