Chamaeleo calyptratus
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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.
The term 'veiled chameleon' refers to the species Chamaeleo calyptratus. 'Veiled' describes their distinctive casque on the head, resembling a veil. This term highlights the species' unique feature. The generic term 'chameleon' is derived from the Greek 'χαμαιλέων' ('khamailéōn'), a compound of 'χαμαί' ('khamaí'), meaning 'low to... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SeaWorld Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Pairi Daiza | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 3 | Basel Zoo | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | |
| 4 | Dublin Zoo | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 5 | Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Aquarium of Genoa | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 7 | The Blue Planet | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 8 | Australia Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Nausicaà Centre National de la Mer | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 10 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 11 | Rostov Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 12 | Karagandy Zoo | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | |
| 13 | Al Ain Zoo | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | |
| 14 | Toronto Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 15 | Taipei Zoo | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 16 | Yumka' | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 17 | Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | |
| 18 | Brookfield Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 20 | Cheyenne Mountain Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | Detroit Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Toyama Municipal Family Park Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 23 | Yaroslavl Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 24 | Guadalajara Zoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 25 | Guangzhou Zoo | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 26 | Mysore Zoo | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 27 | Zoo La Barben | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 28 | Granby Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 29 | Kyiv Zoo | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 30 | Zoológico "Parque del niño" Jersey | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 31 | Caldwell Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 32 | Jerusalem Biblical Zoo | 🇮🇱 Israel | |
| 33 | Moody Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 34 | Night Safari | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 35 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 36 | Lisbon Zoo | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 37 | Taronga Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 38 | Singapore Zoo | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 39 | Houston Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 40 | Miskolc Zoo | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 41 | Melbourne Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 42 | San Antonio Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 43 | Perth Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 44 | Cologne Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 45 | Nikolaev Zoo | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 46 | Chapultepec Zoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 47 | Sapporo Maruyama Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 48 | Wanpi World Zoo | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 49 | Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 50 | Kharkiv Zoo | 🇺🇦 Ukraine |
No species of the same family or order lives in Miami, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Veiled Chameleon sighting in Miami on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 54th most-seen of the 58 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Veiled Chameleon in Miami on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Veiled Chameleon sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Only Miami, in our data
Miami is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Veiled Chameleon sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Veiled Chameleon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Miami (6 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.
