Kinyongia uthmoelleri and Trioceros quadricornis gracilor have red claws.
The word Chamaeleo is derived via Latin from the Greek word khamaileon. It roughly translates to ground lion. Khamai means on the ground and leon means lion.
Chameleons have a very poor sense of smell.
The oldest known chameleon fossil is from the extinct species Chamaeleo caroliquarti. It was found in Europe and is 26 million years old.
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.
Trioceros schubotzi can be found at elevations as high as 4500m.
There are currently 202 recognized chameleon species and 85 of them are found on the island of Madagascar.
Chameleon fossils have been found in central Europe and China, indicating they were once much more widespread than they are now.
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!
Chamaeleo namaquensis is found in the desert of Namibia. To cool off it will sometimes bury itself in the sand.