Chameleons can project their tongue up to 2.2 times their body length.
There are currently 202 recognized chameleon species and 85 of them are found on the island of Madagascar.
Chameleons have laterally compressed bodies. This enables them to warm up quickly by presenting a larger surface area to the sun. It also helps some chameleon species blend in among the similarly shaped leaves in their environment.
The word Kinyongia is from the Swahili word for chameleons: Kinyonga.
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 Calumma comes from the Latin word for covering. This genus consists of chameleons from Madagascar with occipital lobes.
The word Brookesia is named after the British naturalist Joshua Brookes.
Chameleons have acrodont teeth meaning they are an extension of the jawbone. They are not set in sockets nor are they replaced.
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.
Some chameleons play dead to avoid predation; this is called thanatosis.