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.
Kinyongia uthmoelleri and Trioceros quadricornis gracilor have red claws.
The word Kinyongia is from the Swahili word for chameleons: Kinyonga.
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).
The word Rhampholeon is taken from the Latinized Greek “rhamphos leon” meaning crawling lion.
Some chameleons play dead to avoid predation; this is called thanatosis.
Chameleons change color by rearranging a lattice of nanocrystals in one of their top layers of skin cells called iridophores. Chameleons can then stretch this layer, broadening the nanocrystalline lattice, thereby causing it to reflect a different wavelength of light.
Chameleon fossils have been found in central Europe and China, indicating they were once much more widespread than they are now.
The word Brookesia is named after the British naturalist Joshua Brookes.