Chameleons do have taste buds on their tongue but overall they have a poor sense of taste.
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.
Many chameleon species have a bright red, orange or yellow mouth. This conspicuous interior when displayed is used as a defense against predators.
The chameleon tongue accelerates towards its target at over 1642m per second. Chameleons rarely miss their intended food item.
The largest chameleon species by weight is Calumma parsonii (Parson’s Chameleon).
Trioceros schubotzi can be found at elevations as high as 4500m.
The word Rieppeleon is named after the scientist Olivier Rieppel.
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 are sometimes referred to as False Chameleons. This term is actually incorrect and is in reference to anoles, particularly the Cuban False Anole.