- African pancake tortoise
- Amethystine python
- Black marsh turtle
- Blue-tongued skink
- Colombian rainbow boa
- Cuban boa
- Egyptian tortoise
- Geoffroy's side-necked turtle
- Giant tortoise
- Gila monster
- Golden Mantella frog
- Green tree python
- Inland bearded dragon
- Madagascan tree boa
- Marbled milk frog
- Philippine sail-fin water dragon
- Plumed basilisk
- Poison arrow frog
- Prehensile-tailed skink
- Red-eared terrapin
- Rhinoceros iguana
- Standing's day gecko
- Thai tree frog
- Veiled chameleon
- West African dwarf crocodile
- Western chuckwalla
- White-lipped python
- Yellow-spotted Amazon River turtle
- Yellow-headed day's gecko
Veiled chameleon
Scientific name: Chamaeleo calyptratus
Country: Yemen, Saudi Arabia
Continent: Asia
Diet: Insects- insectivore
Food & feeding: Carnivore
Habitats: Scrub forest
Conservation status: Not Threatened
Relatives: Panther chameleon, rhinoceros iguana
Description: Chameleons are lizards with prehensile (grasping) tails, projectile tongues and the ability to change colour. Their two eyes move independently, which enables them to look for prey and predators at the same time. This species is large. The males are up to 60 cm in length and the females up to 35 cm. Males are more brightly coloured, in shades of turquoise, yellow, orange, green and black . The male has a large crest (or casque) on top of his head and has spurs on its feet. This species is also one of the most aggressive of the chameleons.
Lifestyle: A chameleon is a stealth hunter. Their slow movements and greenish colouration mean that they are hard to spot. Their hands and feet are specially modified into clasps that tightly grip small branches. They can steady themselves further with that prehensile tail. Their turret-like eyes can be swivelled in any direction, but when hunting both eyes focus on the prey, allowing the chameleon to judge how far away the prey is. The final secret weapon is the long sticky tongue that shoots out of the mouth and uses suction to grab the startled prey.
Family & friends: Chameleons lead solitary lives and males especially are very aggressive towards one another.
Keeping in touch: Chameleons use the colour of their skins to signal to mates and rivals.
Growing up: Females lay clutches of between 35-80 eggs three times a year.
Chameleons can change colour but they do so more for mood and display than camouflage. An angry or territorial male will become more brightly coloured, while a sleeping chameleon becomes duller in colour.
