chameleon, (family Chamaeleonidae), any of a group of primarily arboreal (tree-dwelling) Old World lizards best known for their ability to change body colour. Other characteristics of chameleons include zygodactylous feet (with toes fused into opposed bundles of two and three), acrodont dentition (with the teeth attached to the edge of the jaw), eyes that move independently, atrophied venom glands that produce harmless trace amounts of venom, and a long, slender projectile tongue. The name has also been applied to the false chameleon, or anole, a New World lizard of the genus Anolis (family Iguanidae).

FUN FACTS

The egg of the rare Parson’s chameleon is believed to take up to two years to hatch.

A chameleon’s tongue can be shot out to an extraordinary length: in some types, the tongue is longer than the body.

Chameleons seem to prefer running water to still water.

The name chameleon means earth lion and comes from the Greek words “chamai” (on the ground, on the earth) and “leon” (lion).

Chameleons shed their skin in pieces. How often they shed depends on how quickly they grow.