''Chamaeleo'' is a
genus of
chameleon
Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...
s in the
family Chamaeleonidae. Most
species of the genus ''Chamaeleo'' are found in
sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...
, but a few
species are also present in
northern Africa,
southern Europe, and southern
Asia east to
India and
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
Description
Species in the genus ''Chamaeleo'' are slow moving, with independently movable eyes, the ability to change skin colouration, a long tongue, usually a
prehensile tail, and special leg adaptations for grasping
vegetation. Males are generally larger and more colorful than females. Almost all species have a maximum snout-vent length (SVL) between .
Behavior
The vast majority of ''Chamaeleo'' species are
arboreal and typically found in trees or bushes, but a few species (notably the
Namaqua Chameleon) are partially or largely
terrestrial.
Reproduction
The genus ''Chamaeleo'' includes only
oviparous
Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...
species.
In captivity
With few exceptions, the chameleons most commonly seen in
captivity
Captivity, or being held captive, is a state wherein humans or other animals are confined to a particular space and prevented from leaving or moving freely. An example in humans is imprisonment. Prisoners of war are usually held in captivity by a ...
are all members of the genus ''Chamaeleo'', notably the
common
Common may refer to:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally com ...
,
Senegal, and
veiled chameleons, but even they require special care.
Taxonomy
''Chamaeleo'' is the
type genus of the
family Chamaeleonidae.
All other
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
of the
subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...
Chamaeleoninae (''
Bradypodion'', ''
Calumma'', ''
Furcifer'', ''
Kinyongia'', ''
Nadzikambia'', and ''
Trioceros'') have at some point been included in the genus ''Chamaeleo'', but are now regarded as separate genera by virtually all authorities.
Extant species
14 species are recognized as being valid, and
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
are recognized for some species.
[. www.reptile-database.org.]
''
Nota bene'': A
binomial authority or
trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than ''Chamaeleo''.
Fossils
References
Further reading
*
Branch, Bill (2004). ''Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa''. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. . (Genus ''Chamaeleo'', p. 227).
*
Laurenti JN (1768). ''Specimen medicum, exhibens synopsin reptilium emendatam cum experimentis circa venena et antidota reptilium austriacorum''. Vienna: "Joan. Thom. Nob. de Trattnern". 214 pp. + Plates I-V. (''Chamaeleo'', new genus, p. 45). (in
Latin).
*
Spawls S,
Howell K,
Drewes R,
Ashe J (2002). ''A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa''. Köln, Germany: Academic Press. 544 pp. .
External links
* http://www.chameleoninfo.com/Species_Profiles.html
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1767161
Taxa named by Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti
Lizard genera