The word Kinyongia is from the Swahili word for chameleons: Kinyonga.
Trioceros schubotzi can be found at elevations as high as 4500m.
The word Rhampholeon is taken from the Latinized Greek “rhamphos leon” meaning crawling lion.
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!
The oldest known chameleon fossil is from the extinct species Chamaeleo caroliquarti. It was found in Europe and is 26 million years old.
Pygmy chameleons (Brookesia, Palleon, Rhampholeon and Rieppeleon sp.) often resemble dry leaves, mosses and branches.
The word Brookesia is named after the British naturalist Joshua Brookes.
Chameleons have a very poor sense of smell.
The chameleon tongue accelerates towards its target at over 1642m per second. Chameleons rarely miss their intended food item.
Many chameleon species have a bright red, orange or yellow mouth. This conspicuous interior when displayed is used as a defense against predators.