''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 In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

or trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than ''Chamaeleo''.

Fossils

References

External links

* http://www.chameleoninfo.com/Species_Profiles.html {{Taxonbar, from=Q1767161 Taxa named by Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti Lizard genera