The veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) is a species of chameleon (family Chamaeleonidae) native to the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Other common names include cone-head chameleon, Yemen chameleon, and Yemeni chameleon They are born pastel green and without their distinctive casques on their head. They grow this as well as become more colorful as they mature. They are known for their variable color changes due to a variety of factors, including to show aggression, social status, reproduction, and stress. Females live around 5 years and males live for around 8 and they breed a few times a year. Description The male is long from the snout to the tip of the tail. The female is shorter, no more than about , but it has a thicker body. Both sexes have a casque on the head which grows larger as the chameleon matures, reaching about in the largest adults. Newly hatched offspring are born pastel green in color and develop stripes and different colors as they mature. Adult females are green with white, orange, yellow, or tan mottling. Adult males are brighter with more defined bands of yellow or blue and some mottling. Coloration can be affected by several factors, including social status. In experimental conditions, young veiled chameleons reared in isolation developed to be darker and duller in color compared to those raised with other individuals. Females change color over the course of their reproductive cycles. Chameleons also tend to change to a much darker color when stressed. Subspecies Chamaeleo calyptratus calyptratus A.M.C. Duméril & A.H.A. Duméril, 1851 – veiled chameleon Chamaeleo calyptratus calcarifer W. Peters, 1871 – short-casqued chameleon Habitat and Distribution The veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) is an arboreal species. It is native to the south-western Arabian Peninsula where the climate is semi-arid and tropical. It is highly susceptible to stress which makes it a species difficult to treat in captivity. This chameleon lives in a number of habitat types in its native range, including plateaus, mountains, and valleys. Like most other chameleons, it is arboreal, living in trees and other large plants. It prefers warmer temperature, generally between . Diet The veiled chameleon is primarily insectivorous. Like other chameleons, the veiled chameleon has the ability to capture large prey but their diets mainly consist of small prey However, it is one of several chameleon species also known to consume plant matter. This is believed to