Chamaeleo chamaeleon
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The common chameleon or Mediterranean chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) is a species of chameleon native to the Mediterranean Basin and parts surrounding the Red Sea. It is the only extant species of Chamaeleonidae with a range that naturally extends into Europe.
The colour of the common chameleon is variable, between yellow/brown through green to a dark brown. Whatever the background colour is, the common chameleon will have two light coloured lines along its side. It has a small beard of scales and some small hard scales on the top of its back. Many assume the color changes undergone by the chameleon are a result of its attempting to camouflage itself, when in reality the chameleon changes its color as a response to light and temperature stimuli and as an expression of its emotions (like chameleon body language). Often when... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natura Artis Magistra | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 2 | Zoobotánico Jerez | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Soğanlı Zoo | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | |
| 4 | Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Tel Aviv University Zoo | 🇮🇱 Israel | |
| 6 | Bristol Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
No species of the same family or order lives in Jerusalem, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Chameleon sighting in Jerusalem on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 6th most-seen of the 10 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Common Chameleon in Jerusalem on a given day, against under 5% in March, June–July and December–January, the lowest months. That is one of Jerusalem's driest months, with almost no rain against 90 mm in January.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Chameleon sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Common Chameleon sightings, Jerusalem has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Tel Aviv (Israel, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Chameleon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Jerusalem (24 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
