Pygmy chameleons have bicuspid claws where each claw has two points like a crescent moon.
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.
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.
The word Furcifer is derived from the Latin word “furci” or forked.
The word Rhampholeon is taken from the Latinized Greek “rhamphos leon” meaning crawling lion.
Chameleons do have taste buds on their tongue but overall they have a poor sense of taste.
The word Chamaeleo is derived via Latin from the Greek word khamaileon. It roughly translates to ground lion. Khamai means on the ground and leon means lion.
Pygmy chameleons (Brookesia, Palleon, Rhampholeon and Rieppeleon sp.) often resemble dry leaves, mosses and branches.
Chameleons have a high midichlorian count.