The chameleon tongue accelerates towards its target at over 1642m per second. Chameleons rarely miss their intended food item.
True chameleons include the following genera: Archaius, Bradypodion, Brookesia, Calumma, Chamaeleo, Furcifer, Kinyongia, Nadzikambia, Palleon, Rhampholeon, Rieppeleon and Trioceros.
The horns on a chameleon are made up of ringlike segments of inner bone covered by a hard keratin-like skin.
Kinyongia uthmoelleri and Trioceros quadricornis gracilor have red claws.
Furcifer oustaleti (Oustalet’s Chameleon) is the longest chameleon species reaching lengths of 27 inches (68cm).
Pygmy chameleons (Brookesia, Palleon, Rhampholeon and Rieppeleon sp.) often resemble dry leaves, mosses and branches.
Chameleons can project their tongue up to 2.2 times their body length.
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.
Trioceros schubotzi can be found at elevations as high as 4500m.