The dwarf ‘lion’ of the Namib

Being cold-blooded (an extra adventure) its waking colour is dark, almost black, to absorb as much heat as possible from the sun, with its independently rotating eyes – one looking left and other looking right – scanning the landscape for a meal. It will spot a fast-moving tenebrionid beetle, and with its ability to run quickly, unlike most chameleons, with a lightning-fast movement its tongue shoots out capturing the beetle in a sticky, sucking disc. 

The chameleon can eat up to 200 beetles a day – a voracious appetite, but necessary for its high metabolism. 

Any sudden movement of a shadow that passes overhead – such as a bird of prey – causes the chameleon to instantly react by changing from black to a pale-grey to brown colour, making it difficult for a predator to spot it easily. 

In addition to that, it will flatten its body and puff up to look larger, opening its mouth to reveal a shocking flash of pink and purple, hissing aggressively and never backing down. 

It is a dwarf lion, as the ancient Greeks called it, and ever prepared to fight for its life. 

It has a unique hydroscopic (water storage) capability that means it does not have to cover long distances in search of water. The Namaqua chameleon also has the ability to collect water from fog on its skin and channel it to its mouth.