Details
Chamaeleo calyptratus
The veiled chameleon is an arboreal lizard marked by a tall casque on the head. It moves slowly through branches and shoots out a long tongue to catch insects.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It inhabits Afrotropical and Palearctic mountain forest and wooded dry country. Shrubs, orchards, and vegetated valleys are commonly used.
Total length 25-60 cm; weight 90-200 g. A high helmetlike casque crowns the head, and the eyes move independently. Green body colors may show yellow or blue bands.
Diurnal and solitary, it grips branches with zygodactyl feet and a prehensile tail. Color changes signal condition, stress, and social state.
An omnivore, it eats mainly insects but also nips leaves and flowers. A rapid tongue strike captures prey from a distance.
Females dig holes in the ground and lay eggs. Hatchlings are independent and catch tiny insects in vegetation.
It is listed as Least Concern. Common in captivity, it is naturally a heat- and drought-tolerant tree-dwelling reptile.
