The word Kinyongia is from the Swahili word for chameleons: Kinyonga.
The word Furcifer is derived from the Latin word “furci” or forked.
The largest chameleon species by weight is Calumma parsonii (Parson’s Chameleon).
Chamaeleo namaquensis is found in the desert of Namibia. To cool off it will sometimes bury itself in the sand.
There are currently 202 recognized chameleon species and 85 of them are found on the island of Madagascar.
Chameleon fossils have been found in central Europe and China, indicating they were once much more widespread than they are now.
Chameleons have a very poor sense of smell.
Pygmy chameleons (Brookesia, Palleon, Rhampholeon and Rieppeleon sp.) often resemble dry leaves, mosses and branches.
The word Rhampholeon is taken from the Latinized Greek “rhamphos leon” meaning crawling lion.
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.