The Oriental Chameleon in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Oriental Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon orientalis) is one of several subspecies of the Mediterranean chameleon.

Northern populations of C. chamaeleon inhabit the regions along the Mediterranean basin, ranging from the coastal regions of Israel, Syria, and Turkey to Spain and Portugal in the north, and in the southern shore area, it reaches over Sinai and Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Ajgeria westwards to Morocco, where its range extends further south along the Atlantic coast as well. While along the mediterranea coast it is more confined to sea/level elevations and rarely lives at altitudes higher than 700m a.s.l., in contrast, the Oriental Chameleon is confined to the highlands of Saudi Arabia and Yemen over 2.000m a.s.l. This mountain-dwelling subspecies thrives in montane areas that offer climatic conditions similar to those found in the Mediterranean and is missing in the hot interior of the Arabian peninsula as well as on the coast of Red Sea.