Chameleon (Wild Life Africa by Schleich)

Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972

Chameleons are a wondrous family of lizards famous for their colour-changing abilities, independently moving eyes, and lightning fast tongues. They are found throughout all of Africa and Madagascar, and range all the way into the Middle East, southern India, and parts of southern Europe. They are also extremely popular in the exotic pet trade, although they require a great deal of special care.

Schleich doesn’t specify which of the 200 described species of chameleon their 2023 toy is meant to be, but judging from its overall appearance, I believe it is a panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis). Panther chameleons are native to Madagascar and have been introduced to the islands of Mauritius and Reunion. They are fairly large chameleons that can grow up to 50 cm long, with males tending to be larger and more brightly coloured than females. This toy measures 10.5 cm long, which makes it small, yet not so small as to be very easy for a child to lose.

The chameleon’s main colour is a dark blue-green with olive green for the X-shaped patterns on the torso and the stripes on the tail. Light orange is applied to the top of the flattened head and along the top and underside of the body. A fuller shade of orange is applied to the feet. The head features black eyes, olive green markings, and a pink mouth line. Moreover, there is a glossy coat over most of the chameleon, which gives it a shiny, vivid appearance. Although it should be noted that real male panther chameleons are even more colourful than this toy.

But wait, there’s more here than meets the eye! Immersing or showering this toy in hot water actually causes its colours to turn brighter. You can also achieve the same result with a hair dryer or simply by rubbing your fingertips firmly against the toy’s surface. Needless to say, this is quite the fun feature. The only downside is that the colours quickly revert back to their standard shades.

Fine scales cover the entirety of the chameleon’s body and there are tiny spines running down the vertebrae and on the lower jaw and underbelly and round osteoderms adorning the flanks. This individual is sculpted in a walking pose with its limbs spread and its long tail curled up at the tip. Chameleons use their prehensile tails much the same way that many monkeys do, wrapping them around branches for support as they slowly make their way through the trees and bushes. Similarly, this chameleon’s body is laterally compressed to facilitate movement through foliage.

Chameleon feet have evolved to be structured like clamps or tongs. On the front limbs, there are two fused toes sticking outward and three sticking inward, while on the hind limbs, this arrangement is reversed. Such feet are indeed present on this toy. And then there are the eyes, which are famous for their ability to pivot independently, allowing their owner a 360 degree arc of vision around them. The eyes on this toy are each angled forward at roughly 45 degrees, presumably scanning for insects to eat. Once an insect has been sighted, the chameleon then focuses both eyes on it and then shoots out its super long, sticky tongue. This last special adaptation is the only one the toy doesn’t feature, but it’s just as well. The chameleon looks better this way and an extended tongue might have ended up breaking off during play.

The Schleich chameleon is a very cool, very well-crafted, and very fun little toy that animal enthusiasts of all ages should enjoy. Strongly recommended. And I must extend my heartfelt thanks to the fine and generous folks at Happy Hen Toys for sending me this toy to review, especially given that I reside in Canada as opposed to the USA. This chameleon is available for purchase from them right now, along with many other animal toys from various companies. Cheers!