EyeEach eye turns on its own, inside a cone-shaped lid.
TongueLong and sticky. It shoots out to catch insects.
TailIt wraps around branches like a fifth limb.
FootFive toes, joined in two groups that grip like tongs.
MouthThe tongue sits bunched up at its back.
SkinA chameleon can change the color of its skin.
CasqueA tall growth on the head, like a helmet.
Back crestA crest of small spikes along the spine.
SpurA small spur on each hind leg. Only males have one.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-10-01 and kept only where two independent sources use it. (1) Wikipedia, text only: Chameleon and Veiled chameleon, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chameleon and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veiled_chameleon (head casque; turret eyes that move independently, the eyelids joined with a pinhole for the pupil; projectile tongue; five toes on each foot bound into two groups, two and three; a prehensile tail used as a fifth limb; a crest of small spikes along the spine; skin that changes color; an open mouth as a warning). (2) San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Chameleon, https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/chameleon (casque; each eye in a cone-shaped scaly lid, focusing separately; long tongue with a sticky tip, held bunched up at the mouth's back; toes joined in groups; prehensile tail that cannot be broken off and regrown; skin in four layers that changes color; a spur on each hind leg of a male veiled chameleon; a sawtooth dorsal ridge on one species). (3) The University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web account of Chamaeleo calyptratus, https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Chamaeleo_calyptratus/ (casque, sticky projecting tongue, tarsal spurs, cones on the gular crest). Spur rests on sources 2 and 3; the others on 1 and 2. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry; nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
The body parts of a chameleon are built for life in the trees: feet that clamp, a tail that grips and eyes that turn on their own. The drawing shows a male veiled chameleon.
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The head
The casque is the tall helmet on the head. Each eye sits in a cone-shaped lid and turns on its own. The tongue shoots out of the mouth to catch insects, and its tip is sticky.
Body, feet and tail
The body is flattened from side to side, and its skin can change color. A crest of small spikes runs along the back. On each foot the five toes are joined in two groups that close on a branch like tongs, and the tail wraps around a branch too. A male's hind legs both bear spurs.
Each foot looks two-toed, but it has five toes in two bundles.
Questions and answers
What is the thing on a chameleon's head called?
A casque. Male and female veiled chameleons both have one, and it grows taller as the animal matures. At night, drops of water roll down it toward the mouth.
How do a chameleon's eyes work?
Each eye is covered by a cone-shaped lid with a small opening for the pupil. The two eyes turn separately, so a chameleon can look at two things at once, then point both at its prey.
How many toes does a chameleon have?
Five on each foot, joined in two groups. On a front foot the outer group has two toes and the inner group three. On a hind foot it is the other way round.
Is a chameleon's tail prehensile?
In most chameleons, yes. The tail wraps around a branch as an extra anchor while the animal climbs or rests. Unlike the tails of many lizards, it cannot break off and grow back.