Chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their pa
Chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, and the possession by many of a prehensile tail, crests or horns on their distinctively shaped heads, and the synonymous ability to change color. Uniquely adapted for climbing and visual hunting, the approximately 160 species of chameleon range from Africa, Madagascar, and Spain, across south Asia, to Sri Lanka, have been introduced to Hawaii and California, and are found in warm habitats that vary from rain forest to desert conditions. Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Iguania Family: Chamaeleonidae Genera Bradypodion Calumma Chamaeleo Furcifer Kinyongia Nadzikambia Brookesia Rieppeleon Rhampholeon Chameleons vary greatly in size and body structure, with maximum total length varying from centimetres ( in) in Brookesia minima (one of worlds the smallest reptiles possibly only surpassed by certain geckos from the genus Sphaerodactylus) to centimetres (27 in) in the male Furcifer oustaleti. Many have head or facial ornamentation, such as nasal protrusions, or horn-like projections in the case of Chamaeleo jacksonii, or large crests on top of their head, like Chamaeleo calyptratus. Many species are sexually dimorphic, and males are typically much more ornamented than the female chameleons. Chameleon species have in common their foot structure, eyes, lack of ears, and tongue. Chameleons are didactyl: on each foot the five toes are fused into a group of two and a group of three, giving the foot a tongs-like appearance. These specialized feet allow chameleons to grip tightly to narrow branches.
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