The Senegal Chameleon is a species of Chameleon that is native to a large part of Western Africa.
These chameleons typically grow to around 20-30cm in length with females typically being a little bit larger than males.
These lizards are known to have bad attitudes and don’t like to be handled. Their bad reputation largely comes from the wild caught specimens that are sold to the public.
Senegal Chameleon Taxonomy
The Senegal Chameleon belong to the infraorder Iguania. This is a grouping of lizards which contains species such as Iguanas, Chameleons, Agamids and Anoles.
As its name suggests, it belongs to the Chameleon family of lizards. There are over 200 different species of Chameleon lizards that are divided into 12 different genera.
The majority of Chameleons are native to Africa and Madagascar but they can also be found in the Middle East, India and parts of Southern Europe.
Some of the popular species of Chameleons include the Panther Chameleon, the Carpet Chameleon and the Pygmy Chameleon.
The genus that the Senegal Chameleon belongs to is called Chamaeleo. There are currently 14 recognised species in this genus at the time of writing.
These species can be found throughout most of Africa, in parts of Southern Europe, the Arabian Peninsula and as far East as India and Sri Lanka.
Probably the most popular species in this genus include the Common Chameleon and the Veiled Chameleon.
The scientific name for the Senegal Chameleon is Chamaeleo senegalensis and there are currently no recognised sub-species.
The species was first described in 1802 by a French Zoologist named François Marie Daudin.
Senegal Chameleon Description
The Senegal Chameleon is a fairly small species of Chameleon that typically grows to between 6 and 8 inches in length.
However, their tail which is quite long is included in this measurement so the lizard’s body is only around half this size.
These chameleons don’t display an array of vibrant colors like you will see in other species of Chameleon such as the Panther Chameleon.
The base color of the lizard is a light brown color but they have the ability to change color like other species of Chameleon.
When basking in the sun they typically appear this brown coloration which will help to absorb more heat.
However, when they are relaxing on a branch, they typically have a lime green coloration. This is likely intended to help them blend into their background.
They have many features thar are common amongst Chameleon species such as large bulging eyes that can move independently.
They also have a long tail that curls up on itself like a snail’s shell. They have the typical zygodactylous feet (two toes facing forward and two toes facing backward) that is often found in chameleons.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
While the Senegal Chameleon can be found in Senegal as its name suggests, this species can actually be found in a number of other countries also.
This species of Chameleon is native to much of Western Africa and can be found in countries such as Senegal, Gambia, Ghana, Togo and Benin.
It is credited with a distribution that expands right across much of Western Africa.
However, according to sightings on I-Naturalist, it seems to be found in two separate locations in Western Africa.
The first region where these lizards are found seems to be centred around Senegal and extends into parts of Gambia.
The second region is much further East, and covers countries such as Ghana, Togo and Benin.
If this is correct, it means there is a large cut-off between the two locations where this lizard is found encompassing countries such as Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the Ivory Coast.
It is possible that the Senegal Chameleon can be found in some of these places and sightings simply just hasn’t been logged in these regions.
It is believed that the preferred habitat of this species is the humid savannas of Western Africa.
They share some of their range with species such as the African Sideneck Turtle, the Rainbow Lizard, the African Fire Skink , the West African Bush Viper and the Savannah Monitor.
