True chameleons include the following genera: Archaius, Bradypodion, Brookesia, Calumma, Chamaeleo, Furcifer, Kinyongia, Nadzikambia, Palleon, Rhampholeon, Rieppeleon and Trioceros.
Chameleons can project their tongue up to 2.2 times their body length.
The word Brookesia is named after the British naturalist Joshua Brookes.
Many chameleon species have a bright red, orange or yellow mouth. This conspicuous interior when displayed is used as a defense against predators.
The word Kinyongia is from the Swahili word for chameleons: Kinyonga.
The oldest known chameleon fossil is from the extinct species Chamaeleo caroliquarti. It was found in Europe and is 26 million years old.
There are currently 202 recognized chameleon species and 85 of them are found on the island of Madagascar.
The word Calumma comes from the Latin word for covering. This genus consists of chameleons from Madagascar with occipital lobes.
The word Furcifer is derived from the Latin word “furci” or forked.
The largest chameleon species by weight is Calumma parsonii (Parson’s Chameleon).