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.
The word Kinyongia is from the Swahili word for chameleons: Kinyonga.
The word Rieppeleon is named after the scientist Olivier Rieppel.
Chameleon fossils have been found in central Europe and China, indicating they were once much more widespread than they are now.
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.
The horns on a chameleon are made up of ringlike segments of inner bone covered by a hard keratin-like skin.
The word Calumma comes from the Latin word for covering. This genus consists of chameleons from Madagascar with occipital lobes.
Chameleons have acrodont teeth meaning they are an extension of the jawbone. They are not set in sockets nor are they replaced.
Trioceros schubotzi can be found at elevations as high as 4500m.