Juvenile Jackson’s Chameleon

Juvenile Jackson’s Chameleon is a species of chameleons that are native to East Africa. It was described by Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1896. Later, this small chameleon was introduced to Hawai. Jackson’s chameleons are sometimes called Three-horned chameleons because males possess three brown horns: one on the nose (the rostral horn) and one above each superior orbital ridge above the eyes (preocular horns). The females generally have no horns, or instead, have traces of the rostral horn. Jackson’s chameleons are usually bright green in color, with some individual animals having traces of blue and yellow, but like all chameleons, they change color quickly depending on the mood, health, and temperature. They also have a saw-tooth shaped dorsal ridge and no gular crest.

Juvenile Jackson’s Chameleon are found in south-central Kenya and northern Tanzania. In Tanzania, they occur only in Mount Meru in the Arusha Region. Jackson’s chameleons are more widespread in Kenya, where they are even found in wooded areas of some Nairobi suburbs. These chameleons live in moist montane forests and woodlands. They need cover to hide and prefer to live in trees and thickets. They can also be found in plantations and gardens.