Chameleon fossils have been found in central Europe and China, indicating they were once much more widespread than they are now.
Chamaeleo namaquensis is found in the desert of Namibia. To cool off it will sometimes bury itself in the sand.
Pygmy chameleons have bicuspid claws where each claw has two points like a crescent moon.
Chameleons have acrodont teeth meaning they are an extension of the jawbone. They are not set in sockets nor are they replaced.
The largest chameleon species by weight is Calumma parsonii (Parson’s Chameleon).
The chameleon tongue accelerates towards its target at over 1642m per second. Chameleons rarely miss their intended food item.
Chameleons do have taste buds on their tongue but overall they have a poor sense of taste.
Furcifer labordi (Labord’s Chameleon) has the shortest lifespan of only 4-5 months. It also has the shortest lifespan of any tetrapod!
The word Rieppeleon is named after the scientist Olivier Rieppel.
The oldest known chameleon fossil is from the extinct species Chamaeleo caroliquarti. It was found in Europe and is 26 million years old.