The most used common name is veiled chameleon. As this chameleon species is located in Yemen it is also called the Yemen chameleon, it’s also called the cone-head chameleon because of the shape of its head crest. (Red List) There is controversy over another subspecies of C. Calyptratus called C. c. calcarifer that looks similar in all but coloration however it has been found to be a hybrid with another chameleon Chamaeleo arabicus. (Necas)
Physical Description Photo credit: Necas, Chameleons
General
The veiled chameleon has sexual dimorphism within the species. All of them are brightly colored with broad bands going around the body. They also all have the large cone shaped casque on the top of their heads that give them the name they are sometimes called of cone-head chameleon. There are also long cones on their gular crest along the throat. Veiled chameleons also have a crest that goes along their back. Like all chameleons the veiled has independently movable eyes that are in a cone-like shape. They have a long prehensile tail and zygodactyl fused toes to climb. Their tongue is long and flexible so it can coil in the mouth and shoot out rapidly to catch prey. The subspecies C. c. calcarifer looks similar in all aspects except that it is varied shades of brown instead of being brightly colored. (Bartlett) Veiled chameleons can flatten themselves out horizontally and they do this in the mornings to soak up more UV rays. (Necas)
Male …show more content…
Their head casque is also much larger. Sexing the males from the females is easy because the males have tarsal spurs on their rear feet. While all of the chameleons are compressed laterally the males look thinner than the stockier build of the females. The males are all colored differently and the range of colors they can have are green, blue, yellow, black, gold, and turquoise.
Physical Description Photo credit: Necas, Chameleons
General
The veiled chameleon has sexual dimorphism within the species. All of them are brightly colored with broad bands going around the body. They also all have the large cone shaped casque on the top of their heads that give them the name they are sometimes called of cone-head chameleon. There are also long cones on their gular crest along the throat. Veiled chameleons also have a crest that goes along their back. Like all chameleons the veiled has independently movable eyes that are in a cone-like shape. They have a long prehensile tail and zygodactyl fused toes to climb. Their tongue is long and flexible so it can coil in the mouth and shoot out rapidly to catch prey. The subspecies C. c. calcarifer looks similar in all aspects except that it is varied shades of brown instead of being brightly colored. (Bartlett) Veiled chameleons can flatten themselves out horizontally and they do this in the mornings to soak up more UV rays. (Necas)
Male …show more content…
Their head casque is also much larger. Sexing the males from the females is easy because the males have tarsal spurs on their rear feet. While all of the chameleons are compressed laterally the males look thinner than the stockier build of the females. The males are all colored differently and the range of colors they can have are green, blue, yellow, black, gold, and turquoise.