chameleon, Any member of a group of primarily tree-dwelling Old World lizards in the family Chamaeleonidae, characterized chiefly by their ability to change body colour. Other traits include toes fused into opposite bundles of two and three, teeth attached to the jaw edge, glands that secrete a weak, harmless venom, and a long, slender, extensile tongue. About half of the 150 species are found only in Madagascar; the others occur mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, only a few elsewhere. Most are 7–10 in. (17–25 cm) long, with a body flattened from side to side. The bulged eyes move independently. Each species can undergo a particular range of colour change. Insects are the main diet, but larger species also eat birds.
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