Veiled chameleon: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the veiled chameleon lives – recorded in 1 country, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Chamaeleo calyptratus
Group	Lizards, geckos & tuatara
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	1 country
Continents	North America
Class	Reptile
Order	Squamata
Family	Chamaeleonidae

Where does the veiled chameleon live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the veiled chameleon in 1 country or territory across North America.

United States

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the veiled chameleon endangered?

The veiled chameleon’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the veiled chameleon?

The veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) is a reptile in the order Squamata and the family Chamaeleonidae, genus Chamaeleo. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the veiled chameleon

The veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) is a species of chameleon (family Chamaeleonidae) native to the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Other common names include cone-head chameleon, Yemen chameleon, and Yemeni chameleon. They are born pastel green and without their distinctive casques on their head. When newly hatched veiled chameleons are surprised, they may drop to the ground and turn a bright red color due to stress.

As they mature, their casque develops along with more vibrant coloring, as well as a dramatic gular fold that will protrude from their throat and chin. They are known for their variable color changes due to a variety of factors, including to show aggression, social status, reproduction, and stress. Female lifespan is around five years while male lifespan is around eight, and they breed a few times a year.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Veiled chameleon (revision 1376515139), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q1124882 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).