The word Kinyongia is from the Swahili word for chameleons: Kinyonga.
The chameleon tongue accelerates towards its target at over 1642m per second. Chameleons rarely miss their intended food item.
There are currently 202 recognized chameleon species and 85 of them are found on the island of Madagascar.
The word Brookesia is named after the British naturalist Joshua Brookes.
The largest chameleon species by weight is Calumma parsonii (Parson’s Chameleon).
The word Bradypodion comes from the latin “bradus podos” or slow foot.
Chamaeleo namaquensis is found in the desert of Namibia. To cool off it will sometimes bury itself in the sand.
Trioceros goetzei (Goetze’s Chameleon) emits an audible, high pitched whistle when threatened.
Many chameleon species have a bright red, orange or yellow mouth. This conspicuous interior when displayed is used as a defense against predators.
Furcifer labordi (Labord’s Chameleon) has the shortest lifespan of only 4-5 months. It also has the shortest lifespan of any tetrapod!