The chameleon is the rainforest reptile famous for changing skin colour and moving each eye independently.
Chameleons are lizards found mainly in Africa, Madagascar, southern Europe, and parts of Asia. Many species inhabit tropical forests, where their grasping feet, prehensile tails, and laterally compressed bodies help them move among branches. Their independently rotating eyes allow them to inspect different directions before focusing both eyes on prey.
Colour change is not simply a way to match every background. Chameleons also change colour in response to temperature, light, stress, courtship, and communication. Specialized skin cells containing pigments and reflective structures create the visible changes.
A chameleon’s projectile tongue can extend rapidly to capture insects. Different species vary greatly in size, colour, habitat, and behaviour, so “chameleon” describes a diverse lizard group rather than one single rainforest animal.