Rhampholeon is a genus of small chameleons, commonly known as pygmy chameleons or African leaf chameleons, found in East Africa and Central Africa. They are found in forests, woodlands, thickets, and savanna, and most species are restricted to highlands. They are brown, grey, or green, and typically seen at low levels in bushes, or on the ground among grasses or leaf litter.
Image: Rhampholeon beraduccii from type locality in life Fig 7 Rhampholeon acuminatus from
Image: Rhampholeon colemani from type locality in life 2
Image: Rhampholeon marshalli 181046589
Image: Stump tailed chameleons Rhampholeon moyeri
Chameleons or chamaeleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 200 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colours, being capable of colour-shifting camouflage. The large number of species in the family exhibit considerable variability in their capacity to change colour. For some, it is more of a shift of brightness ; for others, a plethora of colour-combinations can be seen.
Chameleon
Mughal era painting of a chameleon by Ustad Mansur.
Skeleton of common chameleon
Nearly all species of chameleon have prehensile tails, but they most often grip with the tail when they cannot use all four feet at once, such as when passing from one twig to another.
