Conclusion and Summary

After reading this tutorial, I think you'll agree that chameleons are one of the most interesting members of the animal kingdom. I hope you leave here with a newfound sense of wonder (and even respect) for these amazing creatures of the tropics.

While many chameleon species are stable in the wild, others (such as certain varieties of the dwarf chameleon) fall into the "threatened" and "endangered" categories. As usual, we humans have had a lot to do with this. Many chameleons are losing their natural habitats as the result of deforestation and construction. Others are collected in large numbers for the pet trade.

What can you do about it? First, don't ever buy a wild-caught chameleon for a pet. If you want to keep a chameleon as a pet (a challenging project, by the way), you should purchase a captive-bred specimen. This reduces the demand for wild-caught chameleons. You can also learn about habitat loss and participate in the various groups that try to regulate and prevent such loss.