Reptiles · Squamata · Chamaeleonidae

Veiled Chameleon

Chamaeleo calyptratus

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

It is one of the most popular reptiles in the exotic pet trade, thanks to how readily it breeds and to its striking casque, which grows with age.

Weight

90 g – 200 g

Size

35 cm – 61 cm

Lifespan

6 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

Fun facts

Its striking casque grows with age and helps channel rainwater to its mouth.
Unlike most chameleons it also eats plant matter, which is unusual.
It reaches sexual maturity very young, at 4 to 5 months.
fisiologíaIt can get by on very little standing water, taking much of the moisture it needs from dew condensed on leaves at dawn.

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Highlands and humid valleys of Yemen and south-western Saudi Arabia
Birth weight: Hatches from an egg; no reference weight for the newly hatched young in the sources consulted
Size at birth: Pastel green on hatching, developing colour bands with age
Sexual maturity: 4-5 months, very early compared with other reptiles
Gestation / incubation: 20-30 days from mating to laying; then 6-8 months of egg incubation
Litter / clutch size: 35 to 85 eggs per clutch