Chameleon

The chameleons (of the family Chamaeleonidae) are a highly specialized and distinctive clade of lizards. What sets them apart as a group? They have uniquely shaped heads (with crests or horns), long and rapidly extrudable tongues, stereoscopic eyes, a swaying gait, parrot-like zygodactylous (webbed) feet, and many have a prehensile tail (they can lose their tail) and are able to change color. Chameleons are uniquely adapted for visual hunting and climbing, and are comprised of about 160 species across warm habitats that vary in humidity from desert to rain forest. You'll find them in California, Hawaii and Florida, Africa, Madagascar, south Asia, Spain, Portugal and Sri Lanka. We hope you enjoy our selection of chameleon articles!