Chameleons are reptiles that have lived on Earth for over 100 million years. Chameleon fossils date back to the Paleonzene period. Their fossils have been found in Africa, Europe and Asia. More than half of chameleon species live in Madagascar (Raxworthy, 2004). Chameleons are part of the animal kingdom and the chordata phylum. They get their name from the family they are grouped in, called Chamaeleonidae. Chameleons are closely related to iguanas and other lizards. Although they are similar, chameleons have unique characteristics that set them apart from other lizards. The most distinctive characteristic of chameleons is their ability to change the color of their skin. Chameleons have special cells that allow them to change color. These special cells are called chromatophores (Raxworthy, 2004). They contain layers of pigments located under their outer skin. The dispersion of pigment granules in the chromatophores determines the depth of color. When pigment is distributed evenly throughout a chromatophore, the entire cell is deeply colored. When the pigment is located only in...