Zoolung Animals

Dongtan

Veiled Chameleon

With its helmet-like head, it’s also known as the “helmet chameleon,” and it uses its head to pool blood and lower its body temperature. It scans its surroundings with eyes that can rotate 360 degrees, then quickly shoots out its long, sticky tongue to catch insects. See if you can spot the master of hide-and-seek, the veiled chameleon! However, it might get startled if you approach too quickly, so please approach slowly.

Category

Order: Squamata Family: Chameleonidae
Habitat

Low-lying coastal areas, foothills, and highlands
Diet

Insect

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Dongtan

Guardian of Life Manji

Species

Arboreal reptiles

They are arboreal reptiles that spend most of their time living in trees or on large plants.

Place of discovery

Southwestern Arabian Peninsula

It is native to the southwestern region of the Arabian Peninsula, including Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Habitat

Semi-arid and tropical highlands

They inhabit a variety of forest and vegetation types, including semi-arid climates, tropical highlands, mountains, and valleys.

Diet

Omnivorous (mainly insects)

Although they are primarily insectivorous, they also consume plants (such as grass and fruit), which they use as a source of moisture during the dry season.

Action

Stress-sensitive

They are highly susceptible to stress caused by changes in their environment or confinement, making them a species that is difficult to treat.

Average size

Males up to 61 cm

Males grow up to 61 cm in length, making them significantly larger than females (up to 33 cm), and they have a distinctive helmet-shaped protrusion (casque) on top of their heads.

Color

Changes depending on your mood

Rather than changing color to match their surroundings, they shift to various colors depending on their mood and emotional state, such as aggression, breeding, or stress.

Lifespan

Males: 8 years; females: 4–5 years

Males can live up to 8 years, but females have a shorter lifespan of 4 to 5 years due to frequent breeding.