Veiled chameleon
Chamaeleo calyptratus Duméril & Duméril, 1851
The veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) is a species in the family Chamaeleonidae. It has been recorded in 16 countries, most often in United States, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.
Quick facts about the veiled chameleon
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- Not recorded
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Recorded in
- 16 countriessrc for Recorded in
Photos of the veiled chameleon
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
Where does the veiled chameleon live?
Countries with openly licensed sighting records on GBIF. This shows where the species has been recorded, including zoos and introduced populations. It is not a definitive range.
The veiled chameleon has been recorded in 16 countries, from 412 records.
- None on record
- 1–9
- 10–99
- 100–999
- 1,000+
The same figures as a list, most records first
What is the veiled chameleon?
The veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) is a species of chameleon (family Chamaeleonidae) native to the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Other common names include cone-head chameleon, Yemen chameleon, and Yemeni chameleon. They are born pastel green and without their distinctive casques on their head. When newly hatched veiled chameleons are surprised, they may drop to the ground and turn a bright red color due to stress.
As they mature, their casque develops along with more vibrant coloring, as well as a dramatic gular fold that will protrude from their throat and chin. They are known for their variable color changes due to a variety of factors, including to show aggression, social status, reproduction, and stress. Female lifespan is around five years while male lifespan is around eight, and they breed a few times a year.
Wikipedia contributors, “Veiled chameleon”, Wikipedia (revision 1376515139), retrieved 2026-11-11. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0; this block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the veiled chameleon endangered?
The veiled chameleon is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.
How is the veiled chameleon classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classSquamata
- familyChamaeleonidae
- genusChamaeleo
- SpeciesChamaeleo calyptratus Duméril & Duméril, 1851
Synonyms Chamaeleo calcaratus, Chamaeleo calcarifer
Names in other languages (12)
- Caméléon casquéFrench
- JemenchamäleonGerman
- Camaleão-do-iêmenPortuguese
- JemenkameleonDutch
- JemenkameleontSwedish
- エボシカメレオンJapanese
- 盔甲避役Chinese
- حرباء ذات القلنسوةArabic
- йеменский хамелеонRussian
- حرباء محجبةArabic
- Cone-head chameleonEnglish
- Yemen chameleonEnglish
GBIFWikidataWikipediaNCBI TaxonomyITISEncyclopedia of LifeiNaturalist
Relatives of the veiled chameleon
Other species in the same class Squamata.
King cobra
Ophiophagus hannah
Komodo dragon
Varanus komodoensis
CompareVeiled chameleon vs King cobraVeiled chameleon vs Komodo dragon
Common questions
Answered only where our data holds the answer.
Where does the veiled chameleon live?
The veiled chameleon has openly licensed sighting records from 16 countries on GBIF. The most records come from United States, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Switzerland. These are recorded sightings, not a definitive range.
Is the veiled chameleon endangered?
The veiled chameleon is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0 · live API 2026-11-11
GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org. - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · live API 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata, the free knowledge base. - GBIF occurrence aggregates (CC0 and CC BY records only) · CC BY 4.0 · live API 2026-11-11
GBIF.org occurrence search, country facet counts restricted to CC0 1.0 and CC BY 4.0 records. - Wikimedia Commons · Per file · live API 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Licence and creator recorded per file. - English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · live API 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/veiled-chameleon
“Veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/veiled-chameleon.
@misc{veiled_chameleon_2026,
title = {Veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/veiled-chameleon},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}