Bradypodion melanocephalum (Gray, 1865)

Common Name & Base Color

Bradypodion melanocephalum, commonly called the black-headed dwarf chamaeleon, is generally brownish in overall color.

Color Changing Ability

Like other chameleons, it can change its color and pattern to camouflage in its surroundings.

Color Variation Range

Observed coloration of this species ranges from dark brown and light brown to olive green, and individuals may take on a pale creamy color at night.

Head Coloration

The head is sometimes darker than the rest of the body, but is never black.

Common Name Origin

Its common name comes from the first studied specimen, whose head turned black during the preservation process.

Geographical Distribution

This chameleon is distributed in coastal areas stretching from north of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal south and west to Mkambati Nature Reserve in eastern Eastern Cape, and it also occurs in some inland areas of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

Habitat Types

It lives in a variety of vegetation types including grasslands, bushlands, thickets, trees, and roadside verges, and can also inhabit well-vegetated urban gardens.