Trioceros melleri, with the common names Meller's
Chameleon and Giant One-horned Chameleon is the largest species of chameleon from the African mainland (i.e. the largest of the chameleons not native to Madagascar). Meller's Chameleon gets its common name from a "Dr. Meller" who is mentioned by biologist and taxon authority John Gray in the section about the habitat of the species in his 1865 description.
T. melleri is relatively common in the bushy savannahs and interior mountains of East Africa and may be found in Malawi, northern Mozambique, and Tanzania.
T. melleri is stout-bodied and has a relatively stubby tail one one third the length of its body. A low, scalloped crest extends from just behind the casque of the head through the proximal half of the tail, and a sharp medial crest runs from the lizard's eyes to the tip of its snout, which bears a single small horn. This chameleon bears greatly enlarged occipital lobes. It has heterogeneous scales which vary shape and size to various parts of its body and large, granular scales distributed homogeneously on the trunk and limbs. There are longitudinal rows of large, granular scales in the chameleon's gular region, one of its most distinctive characteristics.
Meller's
Chameleon has color patterns associated with stress. Mild excitement or stress is indicated by dark spotting overlaying the reptile's normal color. These dark green spots turn to black mottling as the chameleon gets more upset. Severe stress turns the chameleon first charcoal gray, followed by pure white adorned with yellow stripes. A sick Meller's Chameleon may be mottled with brown, gray, pink, or white. A gravid animal is black, cream, and gray colored and will be bulging with eggs.
With great care, Melleri are one of the few species that can be housed in groups. This doesn't always work as some individuals will not get along. Constant observation is required to ensure the animals safety. Their long tongues can reach prey up to 20 inches (51 cm) away.