Chameleon vs. Lizard — What's the Difference?

Features eyes that can look in different directions simultaneously.

Reptiles with scaly skin, belonging to the order Squamata.

A type of lizard known for changing color.

Generally has a more standardized vision.

Uses its long, sticky tongue to capture prey.

Many species are ground-dwelling, but some can climb.

Typically lives in trees and bushes.

Diet varies widely from insects to vegetation.

Has zygodactylous feet that grasp like hands.

Tails can be shed and regenerated in some species.

Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. These species come in a range of colors, and many species have the ability to change color.

Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 6,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic as it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia; some lizards are more closely related to these two excluded groups than they are to other lizards.

Variant of Chamaeleon.

Any of numerous squamate reptiles often classified in the suborder Lacertilia, characteristically having a scaly elongated body with a tapering tail, four legs, movable eyelids, and external ear openings.

Any of various tropical lizards of the family Chamaeleonidae, chiefly of Africa and Madagascar, having a prehensile tail, eyes that can move independently, and the ability to change color.

Leather made from the skin of one of these reptiles.

An anole lizard, especially Anolis carolinensis of the southeast United States.

Any reptile of the order Squamata that is not a snake or an amphisbaenian, usually having four legs, external ear openings, movable eyelids and a long slender body and tail.

A changeable or inconstant person

Lizard skin, the skin of these reptiles.

A small to mid-size reptile, of the family Chamaeleonidae, and one of the best known lizard families able to change color and project its long tongue.

(colloquial) An unctuous person.

(figuratively) A person with inconstant behavior; one able to quickly adjust to new circumstances.

(colloquial) A coward.

(physics) A hypothetical scalar particle with a non-linear self-interaction, giving it an effective mass that depends on its environment: the presence of other fields.

(rock paper scissors) A hand forming a "D" shape with the tips of the thumb and index finger touching (a handshape resembling a lizard), that beats paper and Spock and loses to rock and scissors in rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock.

Describing something that changes color.

(in compounds) A person who idly spends time in a specified place, especially a promiscuous female.

A lizardlike reptile of the genus Chamæleo, of several species, found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. The skin is covered with fine granulations; it has eyes which can move separately, the tail is prehensile, and the body is much compressed laterally, giving it a high back. It is remarkable for its ability to change the color of its skin to blend with its surroundings.

Any one of the numerous species of reptiles belonging to the order Lacertilia; sometimes, also applied to reptiles of other orders, as the Hatteria.

A person who changes opinions, ideas, or behavior to suit the prevailing social climate; an opportunist.

A piece of rope with thimble or block spliced into one or both of the ends.

A changeable or inconstant person

A piece of timber with a forked end, used in dragging a heavy stone, a log, or the like, from a field.

A faint constellation in the polar region of the southern hemisphere near Apus and Mensa

Relatively long-bodied reptile with usually two pairs of legs and a tapering tail

Lizard of Africa and Madagascar able to change skin color and having a projectile tongue

A man who idles about in the lounges of hotels and bars in search of women who would support him

No, while some lizards can change color slightly depending on their environment, it is not as pronounced or versatile as in chameleons.

Lizards can be found in a variety of habitats including deserts, forests, mountains, and urban areas.

Many lizards can regenerate their tails, but this ability varies among species and is not universal.

Chameleons change color through specialized cells beneath their skin called chromatophores and iridophores.

Yes, chameleons have excellent eyesight, which helps them spot prey and predators from a distance.

A chameleon is a type of lizard known for its ability to change colors and its independently moving eyes.

Chameleons mostly eat insects, which they catch with their long, sticky tongues.

Lizards are ectothermic, meaning they regulate their body temperature through external means such as sunbathing or seeking shade.

Key differences include their color-changing ability, eye movement, and specialized physical adaptations like their feet and tails.

Lizards communicate through body movements, postures, and sometimes through sounds or pheromones.

Most lizards are solitary except during breeding season; however, some species exhibit social behaviors.

Lizards have various adaptations such as camouflage, quick reflexes, and some can regenerate lost body parts like tails.

A chameleon's tongue can be up to twice the length of its body.

The lifespan of lizards varies widely among species, ranging from a few years to over a decade in captivity.

Some species of chameleons are considered endangered due to habitat loss and the illegal pet trade.