About Bradypodion melanocephalum (Gray, 1865)
Bradypodion melanocephalum, commonly called the black-headed dwarf chamaeleon, is generally brownish in overall color. Like other chameleons, it can change its color and pattern to camouflage in its surroundings. 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. The head is sometimes darker than the rest of the body, but is never black. Its common name comes from the first studied specimen, whose head turned black during the preservation process. 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. It lives in a variety of vegetation types including grasslands, bushlands, thickets, trees, and roadside verges, and can also inhabit well-vegetated urban gardens.
