There are currently 202 recognized chameleon species and 85 of them are found on the island of Madagascar.
The word Brookesia is named after the British naturalist Joshua Brookes.
Furcifer oustaleti (Oustalet’s Chameleon) is the longest chameleon species reaching lengths of 27 inches (68cm).
Chameleon fossils have been found in central Europe and China, indicating they were once much more widespread than they are now.
Chameleons have acrodont teeth meaning they are an extension of the jawbone. They are not set in sockets nor are they replaced.
Kinyongia uthmoelleri and Trioceros quadricornis gracilor have red claws.
The horns on a chameleon are made up of ringlike segments of inner bone covered by a hard keratin-like skin.
Chameleons can project their tongue up to 2.2 times their body length.
The word Kinyongia is from the Swahili word for chameleons: Kinyonga.
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.