Pygmy chameleons have bicuspid claws where each claw has two points like a crescent moon.
The word Calumma comes from the Latin word for covering. This genus consists of chameleons from Madagascar with occipital lobes.
Trioceros schubotzi can be found at elevations as high as 4500m.
The oldest known chameleon fossil is from the extinct species Chamaeleo caroliquarti. It was found in Europe and is 26 million years old.
Trioceros goetzei (Goetze’s Chameleon) emits an audible, high pitched whistle when threatened.
Pygmy chameleons are sometimes referred to as False Chameleons. This term is actually incorrect and is in reference to anoles, particularly the Cuban False Anole.
The smallest chameleon species is Brookesia micra with an adult length just over 1 inch (29mm). It hatches from an egg no bigger than a grain of rice!
The word Bradypodion comes from the latin “bradus podos” or slow foot.
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.
The word Kinyongia is from the Swahili word for chameleons: Kinyonga.