Adaptations in chamaeleon or tree lizard

Distribution: Chamaeleon has world-wide distribution. It is found in Africa, Madagascar, 

Southern Arabia, Spain, Europe, Asia, Syria, India and Sri Lanka. 

Habit and habitat : It is arboreal and feeds on insects. 

Chamaeleon is the most favourite diapsidan lizard having compressed body covered with scales and 

divided into head, neck, trunk and tail. 

Trunk region occupying most part of the body is slightly bent and contains row of spines or crest 

along mid-dorsal line. 

Head has wide mouth, large eyes, smaU nostrils and backwardly directed hood or helmet formed 

by squamosal and occipital bones. Skull and atlas joined by a pro-atlas.

Eyes large covered with a thick glandular lid pierced by a small central opening for pupil. Eyes 

adapted for binocular vision; they work independently while catching insects. 

Tip of tongue club-shaped and mucus-coated. Tongue protrusible and can be shot several inches 

beyond head to catch insect or prey. 

 Acrodont teeth are found on maxillaries and mandible. Premaxillaries and palate without teeth. 

Both forelimbs and hind limbs well developed. The claws are syndactylus in which digits are found in groups. The toes are opposed (2 versus 3) for grasping branches of trees. 

Tail prehensile and meant for coiling round branches of trees. Cloaca is ventrally situated. 

Lungs end in several diverticula or air sacs ending in body.

Tympanum and tympanic cavity absent. 

Quadrate immovable and vertebrae procoelous.

Jacobson's organs and sensory part of nose absent. 

Chamaeleons are famous for its camouflage ie changing their colour of the skin according to the sorrounding.