Chamaeleo namaquensis is found in the desert of Namibia. To cool off it will sometimes bury itself in the sand.
The word Furcifer is derived from the Latin word “furci” or forked.
The word Rieppeleon is named after the scientist Olivier Rieppel.
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.
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.
Chameleons do have taste buds on their tongue but overall they have a poor sense of taste.
There are currently 202 recognized chameleon species and 85 of them are found on the island of Madagascar.
Furcifer oustaleti (Oustalet’s Chameleon) is the longest chameleon species reaching lengths of 27 inches (68cm).
Trioceros goetzei (Goetze’s Chameleon) emits an audible, high pitched whistle when threatened.