Chamaeleo namaquensis is found in the desert of Namibia. To cool off it will sometimes bury itself in the sand.
The word Kinyongia is from the Swahili word for chameleons: Kinyonga.
Pygmy chameleons have bicuspid claws where each claw has two points like a crescent moon.
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.
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 Rhampholeon is taken from the Latinized Greek “rhamphos leon” meaning crawling lion.
The oldest known chameleon fossil is from the extinct species Chamaeleo caroliquarti. It was found in Europe and is 26 million years old.
Chameleon fossils have been found in central Europe and China, indicating they were once much more widespread than they are now.
The largest chameleon species by weight is Calumma parsonii (Parson’s Chameleon).
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!