There are currently 202 recognized chameleon species and 85 of them are found on the island of Madagascar.
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!
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.
The process of shedding is called ecdysis.
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.
The word Rieppeleon is named after the scientist Olivier Rieppel.
Chameleon fossils have been found in central Europe and China, indicating they were once much more widespread than they are now.
Some chameleons play dead to avoid predation; this is called thanatosis.
Kinyongia uthmoelleri and Trioceros quadricornis gracilor have red claws.
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.