The Veiled Chameleon is a species of Chameleon that is native to parts of the Arabian Peninsula in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
They are sometimes referred to as the Yemen Chameleon or the Cone-Head Chameleon because of the casque on their head.
This is a large species of Chameleon. Males can reach almost two feet in length but females are typically smaller.
Veiled Chameleon Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Veiled Chameleon belongs 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.
Genus
The genus that the Veiled 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.
Some of the other species in this genus include the Senegal Chameleon and the Common Chameleon.
Species
The scientific name for the Veiled Chameleon is Chamaeleo calyptratus and there are currently two recognised sub-species.
These sub-species are the nominate sub-species Chamaeleo calyptratus calyptratus and Chamaeleo calyptratus calcarifer.
The species was first described in 1851 by two French Zoologists named André Marie Constant Duméril and Gabriel Bibron.
Duméril and Bibron were responsible for describing a number of species together including the Crested Anole and the Mourning Gecko.
Veiled Chameleon Description
The Veiled Chameleon is a large species of Chameleon that can reach almost two feet in length with males being larger than females.
Males typically grow to around 20 inches in length while females usually only grow to around 14 inches in length.
These lizards are famous for the large casque that develops on the top of their head. This begins as a small swelling in hatchlings, but grows to around two inches in adults.
The background color of these lizards can vary from different shades of green and may contain hues of blue.
This is overlaid with banding and markings that can have vibrant colors of yellow, orange, gold, turquoise, black and grey.
Females don’t have the same level of vibrant coloration that is seen on males and they are usually a lot smaller.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Veiled Chameleon is native to the Arabian Peninsula where it can be found in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
This species of Chameleon is only found along the Western Coast of the Arabian Peninsula with its range extending from the Southern tip of Yemen up as far as the Mecca region of Saudi Arabia.
They can be found in forests, valleys and in the plateaus of mountains. They can be found at elevations of up to 3,000ft.
Veiled Chameleon Behaviour
The Veiled Chameleon is an arboreal species that will spend most of their time in the trees. They can also be found closer to the ground in low lying bushes.
Males can be very territorial and will show signs of aggression if another male enters its territory. Females are typically more tolerable of each other.
The Veiled Chameleon can be a nervous species and will often curl into a ball when it feels threatened.
It can stay curled up for a considerable amount of time until it feels safe enough to unfold, often long after the ‘threat’ has passed.
This species is an insectivore, meaning if will feed on a variety of different insects. They are known to have preferences to certain insects.
Like other species of Chameleon, the Veiled Chameleon will catch its prey by rapidly extending their sticky tongue to grab the insect.
