Camo the Chameleon

Hey kids, I’m Camo. I’m a Panther Chameleon. There are a few species of chameleons out there, but panther chameleons like me come from the eastern and northern parts of Madagascar—a big island off the southeast coast of Africa—a long way away!

We’re very colorful reptiles (if I do say so, myself!). Some of us are naturally blue, and others are more red, green, or orange. Males like me are vibrantly colored, while females are usually tan or brown with hints of pink, peach, or orange. I can also show different colors at the same time—almost like the rainbow God showed Noah after the flood (Genesis 9:13).

Did you know God gave chameleons like me a special gift? We change color! Most people think chameleons change color to match our background. Actually, we mainly change color to regulate our body temperature or to signal to other chameleons. Sometimes we change color based on our mood. If you had a pet chameleon, you would often be able to tell your pet’s mood based on its color. (Yeah, I get moody sometimes!)

Chameleons like me are pretty small, but not tiny. I’m a male and can grow up to 21 centimeters long. But females are about half that size, only growing to about 8–10 centimeters. Female chameleons also lay eggs (10–40 eggs at a time) called a clutch. I hatched from an egg in a clutch only a couple of years ago!

We chameleons change, but God doesn’t. God is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). That should encourage us. If God doesn’t change, we know we know he will stay true to what we know about him in his Word. The Bible also tells us, “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6). Because God doesn’t change like chameleons change colors, we can trust him all the time.

God is forever great!

Panther Chameleon Classification

Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Chamaeleonidae
Genus: Furcifer
Species: pardalis
Lifespan: up to 7 years