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Photo of the Panther chameleon
AfricaLeast concern

Panther chameleon

Furcifer pardalis

A colourful lizard from Madagascar that changes colour to show its mood.

Weight
Up to 180 g
Size
Up to 50 cm long
Lifespan
2–5 years
Top speed
Very slow
Diet
Insects

How heavy is that?

So light that a 40 kg kid weighs as much as 222 of them

Where it lives

Three things to know

  1. Each eye can look in a different direction at the same time.
  2. Its tongue shoots out longer than its body to grab insects.
  3. Its feet work like tongs, with the toes joined in two bundles.
Try the body explorerSee its neighbours

Compare with…

Weight
Panther chameleon180 g
A 10-year-old kid40 kg
The kid weighs about 222× as much as the panther chameleon
Size
Panther chameleon50 cm
A 10-year-old kid1.4 m
The kid is about 2.8× as big as the panther chameleon
Top speed
Panther chameleon—
A 10-year-old kid20 km/h
Too slow to time
Lifespan
Panther chameleon5 yrs
A 10-year-old kid80 yrs
The kid can live about 16× as long as the panther chameleon

Food chain

  1. LeavesProducer
  2. Insects
  3. Panther chameleonThis animal
  4. Snakes