Kingdom: Animalia > Phylum: Chordata > Class: Reptilia > Order: Squamata > Family: Chamaeleonidae > Genus: Chamaeleo > Species: Chamaeleo chamaeleon

European chameleon - Chamaeleo chamaeleon (Linnaeus, 1758)

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Quick facts

Threat status Europe	Not Applicable (IUCN)
EU conservation status by biogeographical region	Mediterranean - Unfavourable-Inadequate
Protected by	EU Habitats Directive and 3 other international agreements
Most preferred habitats	grassland
May also occur in	agricultural mosaics cropland heathland and shrub sparsely vegetated land urban wetlands woodland and forest
Natura 2000 species code	1235

Distribution

The distribution map is currently disabled. A new map solution will soon become available. In the meantime, please consult other species distribution map providers listed in the Other resources panel below.

Threat and conservation status

IUCN Red List status of threatened species

The IUCN Red List threat status assesses the risk of extinction.

World

Least Concern

Europe

Not Applicable

IUCN Red List Category

Not Evaluated	Near Threatened	Regionally Extinct
Not Applicable	Vulnerable	Extinct in the Wild
Data Deficient	Endangered	Extinct
Least Concern	Critically Endangered

Sources:

EU conservation status

Conservation status assesses every six years and for each biogeographical region the condition of habitats and species compared to the favourable status as described in the Habitats Directive. The map shows the 2007-2012 assessments as reported by EU Member State. Assessments are further detailed in the summary document available behind the link below.

Favourable: the species is viable and maintaining itself on a long-term basis, its natural range is not reduced, and it has a sufficient large habitat.
Unfavourable-Inadequate: the species is not as critical as being unfavourable-bad, but still requires significant conservation and restoration measure to make it viable in the long-term, or to enlarged its current range, or to improve the quality and availability of its habitat.
Unfavourable-Bad: the species is either not maintaining itself on a long-term basis and is not viable, or its natural range as been or is being drastically reduced, or its habitat is largely insufficient; the species requires major conservation and restoration measures.
Unknown: the information available for the species is scarce and does not allow a proper assessment of its conservation status.

Sources:

Full table details

Conservation status (2007-2012) of species (Habitats Directive, Article 17) by EU Member State:

country	region	conclusion
Cyprus	Mediterranean	Favourable
Greece	Mediterranean	Unfavourable-Inadequate
Spain	Mediterranean	Unfavourable-Inadequate

Natura 2000 sites

Not available

Legal status

Mentioned in the following international legal instruments and agreements

Legal text	Annex	More information
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora - consolidated version 01/01/2007 (EU Habitats Directive)	Annex IV: animal and plant species of community interest in need of strict protection.	http://ec.europa.eu/environm...rective/index_en.htm
Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats (Bern Convention)	Annex II: strictly protected fauna species	http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cul.../bern/default_en.asp
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)	Annex II: (a) all species which, although not necessarily now threatened with extinction, may become so unless trade in specimens of such species is subject to strict regulation in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival; and (b) other species which must be subject to regulation in order that trade in specimens of certain species referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph may be brought under effective control.	http://www.cites.org/eng
Commission regulation (EU) No 1320/2014, of 1 December 2014, amending Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein (EU regulation of trade of fauna and flora)	Annex A includes: All CITES Appendix I species, except where EU Member States have entered a reservation; Some CITES Appendix II and III species, for which the EU has adopted stricter domestic measures; Some non-CITES species	http://ec.europa.eu/environm...s/legislation_en.htm

Common names and synonyms

Common Name	Language	Reference
Camaleao	Portuguese	Gasc J.P. and al.
Camaleón común	Spanish	Gasc J.P. and al.
Camaleonte	Italian	Gasc J.P. and al.
Caméléon commun	French	Gasc J.P. and al.
Europäisches Chamäleon	German	Gasc J.P. and al.
European chameleon	English	Gasc J.P. and al.

Synonym	Author
Lacerta chamaeleon	Linnaeus, 1758
Chamaeleo parisiensium	Laurenti, 1768
Chamaeleon vulgaris	Daudin, 1802
Cameleo siculus	Grohmann, 1832
Chamaeleo cinereus	Strauch, 1862
Chamaeleo saharicus	Miller, 1887
Chamaeleon fasciatus	Smith, 1866
Chameleon parisientium	Bosca, 1880
Chamaeleon hispanicus	Fitzinger, 1843
Chamaeleon rimulosus	Gravenhorst, 1843
Chamaeleo carinatus	Merrem, 1820

Other resources

Fauna Europaea	Fauna Europaea
GBIF search	Global Biodiversity Information Facility
Habitats Directive Art. 17-2006 summary
ITIS (Valid name)	Interagency Taxonomic Information System
NCBI search	National Center for Biotechnology Information
PESI (Accepted)	Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure
Species+	Species+ by UNEP-WCMC
Wikipedia	Wikipedia

External data

No external data sets available for this species

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