Chamaeleo gracilis
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The graceful chameleon (Chamaeleo gracilis) is a species of chameleon native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is commonly around a foot (30.5 cm) long. Because of its abundance, it is heavily exploited by the pet trade. The graceful chameleon inhabits much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Angola in the south and Ethiopia in the east. It mostly lives in forests, though it tolerates bushy areas near plantations and savanna.
C. gracilis is often green, yellow, or brown, with a green stripe on its side. Although it is usually a foot (30.5 cm) in total length (including tail), it can grow up to 15 inches (38 cm) in total length. The graceful chameleon is diurnal; it hunts for prey during the morning and evening, while it rests in the shade during the hottest part of the day. Males are very territorial, and often threaten each other with colorful displays. It eats insects, and can live up to 10 years in captivity.
C. gracilis breeds twice per year, once in the dry season and again at the end of the wet season. 20 to 50 eggs are laid per clutch. Two subspecies are recognized as being valid... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gambia Reptile Farm | 🇬🇲 Gambia |
No species of the same family or order lives in Murchison Falls National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Graceful Chameleon sighting in Murchison Falls National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 8 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and September
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Graceful Chameleon in Murchison Falls National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–May, August and October–January, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Graceful Chameleon sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Graceful Chameleon sightings, Murchison Falls National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Tsavo East National Park (Kenya, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Graceful Chameleon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Murchison Falls National Park (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
