The word Kinyongia is from the Swahili word for chameleons: Kinyonga.
The oldest known chameleon fossil is from the extinct species Chamaeleo caroliquarti. It was found in Europe and is 26 million years old.
Chameleons have acrodont teeth meaning they are an extension of the jawbone. They are not set in sockets nor are they replaced.
Chameleons have a very poor sense of smell.
There are currently 202 recognized chameleon species and 85 of them are found on the island of Madagascar.
The largest chameleon species by weight is Calumma parsonii (Parson’s Chameleon).
The word Furcifer is derived from the Latin word “furci” or forked.
Some chameleons play dead to avoid predation; this is called thanatosis.
Trioceros goetzei (Goetze’s Chameleon) emits an audible, high pitched whistle when threatened.
Trioceros schubotzi can be found at elevations as high as 4500m.