The smallest chameleon species is Brookesia micra with an adult length just over 1 inch (29mm). It hatches from an egg no bigger than a grain of rice!
Chamaeleo namaquensis is found in the desert of Namibia. To cool off it will sometimes bury itself in the sand.
Pygmy chameleons have bicuspid claws where each claw has two points like a crescent moon.
Chameleons do not have external ears or a tympanic membrane, but they do have internal ears as well as degenerated middle ears. They do not hear well but they can detect low frequency sounds.
The word Brookesia is named after the British naturalist Joshua Brookes.
Kinyongia uthmoelleri and Trioceros quadricornis gracilor have red claws.
Chameleons do have taste buds on their tongue but overall they have a poor sense of taste.
Furcifer oustaleti (Oustalet’s Chameleon) is the longest chameleon species reaching lengths of 27 inches (68cm).
Some chameleons play dead to avoid predation; this is called thanatosis.
The word Kinyongia is from the Swahili word for chameleons: Kinyonga.