These attractive, intriguing, largely arboreal lizards are such unusual animals that temporarly they were not placed in the taxonomic suborder Sauria (lizards) however in their suborder, Rhiptoglossa. In the 1800s, two genera were recognized Chamaeleo and brookies, the former mostly large, colorful, prehensile-tailed chameleons.

Chameleons have several un-lizard-like characteristics .the tail can't be shed and re-grown, and it is prehensile in every species of chameleon. Their eyes are set in small turrets, move independently; their vision is sharp and can be binocular; they've got no external ears and thus bad hearing. Their feet are uniquely adapted for climbing, with opposed bundled toes with sharp claws; consequently, chameleons are arboreal the larger species ascending to the larger heights in trees, even though the small species prefer shrubs and bushes and the pygmy chameleons often forage on the floor, whilst they climb into low vegetation to fall asleep.

Chameleons use a telescopic tongue that could be shot at prey, to a distance greater than their bodies. They can change color and intensity rapidly; some species exhibit an array of colors. Their bodies are curiously laterally compressed, lacking any obvious neck. The sex organs in the male can be found inside sheath in the base of the tail, and therefore a grownup non-horned chameleon can often be sexed by examining the tail base, which can be broader in men. Males of some species have tarsal spurs, small scaly projections around the heel.

The ability to change color has produced chameleons famous. The color change is connected with their emotional /hormonal state in fact matches the setting. The color change can be responsive to light, shade, and temperature .figure, the direction they move and base coloration all plays a part in camouflage; patterns and intensity color change are hormonally controlled. chameleons cannot move fast and their only active defenses are hissing, biting, and jumping from perch

However, if sexually aroused or facing a rival (some territorial), vivid, stunning color patterns can happen, and angry or harassed chameleons will darken, showing patterns of dark bars, spots or blotches; some become black with rage. In the cold areas, they will turn black within the early morning, to absorb heat and light-weight efficiently through the sun; with the same time, they carefully align themselves perpendicular on the light and flatten your body to improve floor.

Several East African species have one, several annular or blade-like horns and rival males will fight using these, as well as by biting or clawing. The low altitude lay eggs, but many high altitude species, specially the Tanzanian hill species as well as the smaller, stripped East African varieties of the ''rhinoceros'' group which include Jackson chameleon (chameleon Jackson) and the side-striped chameleon (chameleon bitaeniatus) give live birth. Chameleons eat insects as well as other arthropods (millipedes and spiders) and they are thus farmers friendly. Chameleons have some of enemies, including various types of birds (shrikes, starlings), small tree-climbing carnivores, tree snakes (boomslang, twig snakes).

There will be more than 130 known type of chameleon, 60 or maybe more occur in Madagascar, the remainder mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, although a number of species are found inside Mediterranean sea and on Arabian peninsula, one species occur in India and Sri Lanka, other on smaller off-shore islands. Tanzania, with more than 25 species, gets the greatest chameleon diversity in Africa. In many subs Saharan Africa, chameleons are greatly feared, superstition associated with their secretive life, camouflage, odd appearance and jerky movements.

Although a lot of people believe they may be venomous, most stories associate chameleons with bad luck, evil eye or having brought death to mankind by some kind of negligence. As a result of these legends, many individuals fear chameleons and won't tolerate them near homes. Chameleon bodies and the body parts may also be used in witchcraft.