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7Lifespan : 5-9 yrs. (varies by species)

Diet : Omnivore. Insects, snails, spiders, lizards, birds, flowers, berries, and fruit.

Predators and Threats : Humans through habitat destruction and captivity.

Habitat : Forests; Madagascar, Africa, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Southern Spain and India, small islands near Madagascar and Africa such as the Seychelles and Comoros.

 

1. Almost half of the world’s chameleon species live on the island of Madagascar, with 59 different species existing nowhere outside of the island. There are approximately 160 species of chameleon. They range from Africa to southern Europe, and across south Asia to Sri Lanka. They have also been introduced into the United States in places such as Hawaii, California and Florida.

 

2. Colour Changing. Most chameleons change from brown to green and back, but some can turn almost any colour. A change can occur in as little as 20 seconds. Chameleons are born with special cells that have a colour or pigment in them. These cells lie in layers under the chameleon’s outer skin. They are called chromatophores.

 

 3. Chameleon eyes have a 360-degree arc of vision and can see two directions at once. Chameleons have the most distinctive eyes of any reptile. Their upper and lower eyelids are joined, with only a pinhole large enough for the pupil to see through. They can rotate and focus separately to observe two different objects simultaneously, which lets their eyes move independently from each other.

 

4. Ballistic tongues that are 1.5-2 times the length of their body : chameleon’s tongue is typically thought to be 1.5 to 2 times the length of their body (their length excluding the tail).

 

5. Happy Feet. The feet of chameleons are highly adapted to movement in trees (arboreal locomotion). 

 

6. Males are typically much more ornamented. Many have head or facial ornamentations such as nasal protrusions or horn-like projections. Others can have large crests on top of their head.

 

7. Chameleons can’t hear much. Like snakes, chameleons do not have an outer or a middle ear so there is neither an ear opening nor an eardrum. However, chameleons are not deaf. 

 

8. Ultraviolet vision. Chameleons can see in both visible and ultraviolet light. Chameleons exposed to ultraviolet light show increased social behaviour and activity levels and are more inclined to bask and feed. They are also more likely to reproduce as it has a positive effect on the pineal gland. 

 

9. The American chameleon is not actually a chameleon. The American chameleon, or anole (Anolis carolinensis), is not a true chameleon, but a small lizard of the iguana family. It is found in the SE United States and is noted for its colour changes.