Saudi Arabia: Yemeni aka Conehead Chameleon
As we drove the insane roads along the Yemeni border, we spotted…. a chameleon crossing the road!!! What a find! This was one of the endemic chameleons with a very narrow range in western Saudi Arabia and Yemen – known as Yemen aka Conehead aka Veiled Chameleon, or Chamaeleo calyptratus in Latin. These are quite rare and leave in hot semi desert forests in the local mountains at the elevation above 3000 ft.. It’s one of the most color-changing species of chameleons, getting brighter and more colorful when stressed or excited. Our guy seemed quite relaxed as e helped him cross the road and over the road barrier.
