The species of chameleon found on the Maltese Islands is also found in Greece, Cyprus, southern Portugal and southern Spain on the north of the Mediterranean basin. A small population is reported to be present in Apulia in south-western Italy. To the south, it is found in a very extensive range throughout North Africa and Saudi Arabia, as well as Iraq and Iran.
In Malta, the chameleon was introduced from North Africa in the 1850s by Protestant missionaries. It was set free in what is now the Jesuit College of St. Ignatius in St. Julian’s and has since spread all over Malta.
It lives in all kinds of habitat and can be seen in trees, shrubs and low-growing vegetation as well as in open countryside. The chameleon can change its colours and can look in two directions at the same time. Camouflage and its slow movements help it stalk its prey. It usually feeds on a wide range of insects which are caught by its protractible tongue.
As a family, chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialised group of lizards. There are about 160 species of chameleons in the world, almost half of which live in the island of Madagascar. They come in a range of colours, from pink to blue and from turquoise to orange, yellow, and green.
They are distinguished by their feet, with toes that can point in two separate directions. This helps them grip branches more effectively and balance better. Each of their five toes is equipped with a sharp claw that helps them grip on surfaces such as bark when climbing.
Chameleons have separately mobile stereoscopic eyes. In fact they have the most distinctive eyes of any reptile as the upper and lower eyelids are joined. There is only a pinhole large enough for the pupil to see through.
They can rotate their eyes independently from each other hence they have a full 360-degree arc of vision around their bodies. They can also focus separately to observe two different objects simultaneously and have very good eyesight as they are able to see small insects from a distance of up to 10 meters.
Chameleons do not have an outer or a middle ear, and do not have neither an ear opening nor an eardrum, but they are not deaf and can detect sound frequencies in the range of 200–600 Hz.
Chameleons eat primarily insects, which they catch with their long tongues, which darts out from their mouth in a flash. Their tongues are about two times the length of their bodies and can capture prey located some distance away. The tongue projection is extremely fast, reaching the prey in as little as 0.07 seconds.
The mating season for the common chameleon is from mid-July to mid-September. Three to six weeks after copulation, female Chameleons lay eggs in a hole they dig in the ground. Eggs generally hatch after four to 12 months, depending on the species of chameleon. The common chameleon is sexually mature within one year. Adult animals, especially males will eat young that they encounter.
Chameleons are able to change their skin colour. A change can occur in as little as 20 seconds. The colour change is used in social signaling between peers as well as in camouflage. Chameleons tend to show darker colours when angered or when they attempt to scare or intimidate others. Males show lighter, multi-coloured patterns when courting females.
Though many think chameleons change colour to blend in with their surroundings, studies show that light, temperature and mood cause chameleons to change colour. Sometimes changing colour can make the chameleon more comfortable.
Chameleons are very ancient animals. The oldest known chameleon is existed around 62 million years ago in China. In Europe, fossils of Chameleons dating back to about 23 million years have been found in the Czech Republic and Germany.