About Chamaeleo dilepis Leach, 1819
Chamaeleo dilepis, commonly known as the flap-necked chameleon, is a large chameleon species. Adults reach a total length of 35 cm (14 in) when including the tail. Its body colouration spans various shades of green, yellow, and brown. Most individuals have a pale stripe along their lower flanks, plus one to three pale patches on the upper portions of the flanks. This species has an extremely broad distribution across most of sub-Saharan Africa. Its range extends north to Ethiopia and Somalia, reaches its western limit in Cameroon, and extends south to northern South Africa. It can live in coastal forest, moist or dry savannah, woodland, and bushy grasslands, and it sometimes enters rural and suburban areas. Adult female flap-necked chameleons dig holes in soil to lay clutches of 10 to 40 eggs. Eggs require 10 to 12 months to hatch. The diet of C. dilepis consists primarily of a wide range of invertebrates, though large individuals may also prey on geckos and other chameleons. This species is a common prey item for snakes, specifically the boomslang and the twig snake.
