Common Chameleon
Chamaeleo chamaeleon
Its eyes can rotate and focus independently, allowing it to scan a full 360-degree arc for predators while remaining perfectly still.
- Scientific name
- Chamaeleo chamaeleon
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Reptilia › Squamata › Chamaeleonidae › Chamaeleo
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Mediterranean scrublands, pine woodlands, olive groves, orchards, and coastal dunes.
- Diet
- Mainly insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, mantises, and flies, occasionally consuming small invertebrates or plant matter.
- Range
- Southern Spain, Portugal, North Africa, Greece, Malta, Middle East
- Size
- 20-40 cm (8-16 inches) in total length, including the prehensile tail
- Lifespan
- 3-5 years in the wild
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss and fragmentation due to tourism and agricultural development, wildfires, road mortality, and illegal collection for the pet trade.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. Observe from a safe distance of 1-2 meters to avoid causing stress. Do not attempt to handle, as they are fragile and stress easily. If cornered, they may hiss or deliver a weak, non-venomous bite. If bitten, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water.
The common chameleon or Mediterranean chameleon ( Chamaeleo chamaeleon ), together with the African chameleon, C. africanus , is one of only two extant species of Chamaleonidae with a range that extends into Europe.
Photo: no rights reserved, CC0, via iNaturalist
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