Chameleons do have taste buds on their tongue but overall they have a poor sense of taste.
Chameleons change color by rearranging a lattice of nanocrystals in one of their top layers of skin cells called iridophores. Chameleons can then stretch this layer, broadening the nanocrystalline lattice, thereby causing it to reflect a different wavelength of light.
The chameleon tongue accelerates towards its target at over 1642m per second. Chameleons rarely miss their intended food item.
Chameleon fossils have been found in central Europe and China, indicating they were once much more widespread than they are now.
Chameleons have laterally compressed bodies. This enables them to warm up quickly by presenting a larger surface area to the sun. It also helps some chameleon species blend in among the similarly shaped leaves in their environment.
The word Kinyongia is from the Swahili word for chameleons: Kinyonga.
The word Rieppeleon is named after the scientist Olivier Rieppel.
Chameleons have acrodont teeth meaning they are an extension of the jawbone. They are not set in sockets nor are they replaced.
There are currently 202 recognized chameleon species and 85 of them are found on the island of Madagascar.
Some chameleons play dead to avoid predation; this is called thanatosis.