Designed to Disappear: Chamaeleo laevigatus in the Grasslands of Uganda

Chamaeleo laevigatus, a close relative of C. senegalensis, is a subtle master of camouflage adapted to the dry grassy savannas of the Sahel and East Africa. Its slender body and muted coloration mirror the brittle stems and sun-bleached blades of its habitat, allowing it to vanish in plain sight. Evolution has favored not flamboyance but invisibility, its chromatophores tuned to mimic the tones of drought and pale grassy labyrinth. The image by Kiiza Wilson captures this perfectly: a creature not hidden by shadow, but by resemblance. In this biome, survival is not about standing out, but blending into the rhythm of grass and light.