About 200 species of Old World lizard with independently moving eyes, a projectile tongue and gripping feet and tail. About half of all species live only on Madagascar.
Quick answers
What is it?Reptile
Carnivore?Insects only
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Chameleons are popular reptile pets, mostly imported from Africa, though stricter rules on wild-caught animals have cut the trade.
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inAfrica, Asia
HabitatRainforest, Forest, Scrub, Desert
ColoursGreen, Brown, Blue
SizeSmall
Legs4
Covered inScales
Lives alone
Lives for5–10 years
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Mostly Africa, about half of species only in Madagascar. One species in southern Europe, a few across southern Asia to India and Sri Lanka.
- What it eats
- Mostly insects, caught with the tongue; the large species also take small vertebrates.
Did you know
Changes colour for mood and temperature, not to match wallpaper.
Each eye moves on its own, so a chameleon’s brain handles two separate images until both eyes lock onto prey.
Often confused with
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