CHAMELEON kə me’ li ən (כֹּחַ֮, H3947, koch; chameleon KJV; land crocodile RSV). (See Lizard for fuller discussion.) This is found once only in a section that some authorities regard as a list of lizards (Lev 11:30). The same root koch is found frequently (120 times) meaning “power” or “strength.” This could have reference to the extraordinary strength of the highly modified ft. which have become claspers with two claws as opposed to three. A chameleon holding firmly to a branch can hardly be removed without danger of damage. Whether or not this tr. is correct the common chameleon (Chameleo chameleon) is well-known in wooded areas from Pal. along the N Mediterranean coast. It is a small species, with a length up to six inches.

It is remarkable that no more specific reference is made to it, for its many strange features make it the object of intense dread in many parts of Africa. It is unique in having independent eyes, with colored lids fused over the eyes and moving with them; a tongue that is projected to roughly the body’s length to catch prey; and a skin of which the color can be varied, in part only to match the background, for other factors also can cause a change. The chameleon feeds on small insects.