Good Morning Chameleon!

There are many Chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae) in Sarawak. They are usually green in colour but when they need to camouflage, they will change the colours of their skin so that they become one with the background..

They have parrot like feet and have big eyes which can rotate with a near 360 degree field of vision. This means that the chameleon does not have to move its head while lying in ambush. Amazing!!

They also have long extrudable tongues, an interesint tail, crests or horns on their heads.

They are good in climbing.

The English word chameleon (also chamaeleon) derives from Latin chamaeleō, a borrowing of the Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn), a compound of χαμαί (khamaí) "on the ground" and λέων (léōn) "lion". The Greek word is a calque translating the Akkadian nēš qaqqari, "ground lion".

When we were young and helping our cousins and aunts in the rubber gardens we were terrified of the chameleon for we were told that if we were ever bitten by one, we would die after taking 7 steps.

Chameleons in Foochow are called Chih Buoh Eng (7 steps lizard). But, there was also good news too. If the chameleon gave on a leaf, one had to take to leaf and pound it to make a poultice. One wont die. But if it gave a piece of stick, it meant that one would surely die!