As they mature, their casque develops along with more vibrant coloring, as well as a dramatic gular fold that will protrude from their throat and chin.

They are known for their variable color changes due to a variety of factors, including to show aggression, social status, reproduction, and stress.

The species name 'calyptratus' comes from the Greek 'καλύπτρα' (kalýptra), meaning 'veil' or 'cover', referring to the distinctive casque or veil-like structure on their head.

This casque not only serves as a significant physical characteristic but also plays a practical role in channeling dew and rainwater towards the mouth for hydration.

Both sexes have a casque on the head which grows larger as the chameleon matures, reaching about 5 cm (2.0 in) in the largest adults.

In experimental conditions, young veiled chameleons reared in isolation developed to be darker and duller in color compared to those raised with other individuals.

[5] This chameleon lives in a number of habitat types in its native range, including plateaus, mountains, and valleys.

Thus, the musculoskeletal system of the feeding mechanisms grow with negative allometry relative to snout-vent length (SVL).

Studies on captured veiled chameleons showed that velocity of jaw movement tends to be greater in adults than juveniles.

Anecdotal suggestions of temperature-dependent sex ratios in the veiled chameleon were accrued from reporting and statistical errors.

For color changing species such as the veiled chameleon, signaling is important between animals to prevent needless energy expended on attacking competition.

It is likely that such color changing behavior serves as an evolutionary stable strategy to mutually benefit individuals by preventing unnecessary escalation.

[12] All chameleons can engage in color change through a lattice of guanine nanocrystals embedded in a superficially thick layer of dermal iridophores.

The two layer structure may allow veiled chameleons to camouflage as well as relay behavioral signaling and may also provide thermal protection.

If a female is not receptive to the male, her body will turn dark brown to black with white or yellow mottled markings.

[14] After mating in captivity, a female chameleon will decrease feeding three to four weeks and will spend more time at the bottom of the cage searching for an appropriate egg-laying site.

Tunnels will typically reach to the bottom of the container and will be covered with substrate debris after oviposition is completed (which tends to make them difficult to find).

Embryos have been shown to start development sooner when subjected to higher temperatures while degree of moisture showed no significant impact.

Neonate nurseries should consist of a ten gallon screen top aquarium with a base one third to one half filled with decorative artificial plants.

[14] Serpentoviruses are known to cause respiratory problems in snakes, and veiled chameleons have been found to display similar symptoms to this disease such as sneezing, lethargy, oral mucus secretions, depression, and poor body condition.

It is important to note that captive veiled chameleons should never be released in the wild because they are an invasive species that can cause significant harm to a local ecosystem.

It is important to mist the enclosure several times a day to maintain a properly humidity level, and provide a dripper or other source of running water for drinking.

Because chameleons possess anatomy that is functionalized for an arboreal habitat (such as split hands and feet for grasping, a prehensile tail, a projectile tongue, independently moving turreted eyes, and laterally compressed bodies), the veiled chameleon is becoming an up-and-coming model for the study of functional morphology and evolutionary developmental biology (ev-devo).

A 2019 study assembled an annotated, multi-tissue transcriptome for the veiled chameleon to use as a resource in evolutionary and developmental research.

The veiled chameleon is currently used as an experimental model to study the evolutionary transition from reptilian amniotes to mammalian and avian species.

They breed readily, do not require a cooling period to induce a reproductive cycle, and females produce about 45–90 eggs multiple times a year.

This makes chameleons useful in providing information to study the molecular interaction at the tooth-bone interface in physiological and pathological conditions.

Since the veiled chameleons are generalist predators, compete with native species, and breed rapidly which can lead to overpopulation.

In 1992, under Title 4, Chapter 71, Section 13.5 of the Hawaii Administrative rules it was made illegal to import, possess, or transport, veiled chameleons without a permit.

Enforcement of this regulation helps protect Hawaii's natural resources, preserve the unique cultural, and ecological heritage of the islands.