The process of shedding is called ecdysis.
The word Bradypodion comes from the latin “bradus podos” or slow foot.
Some chameleons play dead to avoid predation; this is called thanatosis.
The word Calumma comes from the Latin word for covering. This genus consists of chameleons from Madagascar with occipital lobes.
The chameleon tongue accelerates towards its target at over 1642m per second. Chameleons rarely miss their intended food item.
Many chameleon species have a bright red, orange or yellow mouth. This conspicuous interior when displayed is used as a defense against predators.
The word Brookesia is named after the British naturalist Joshua Brookes.
The word Kinyongia is from the Swahili word for chameleons: Kinyonga.
The word Furcifer is derived from the Latin word “furci” or forked.
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!