The veiled chameleon is a brightly coloured reptile. At the start of their lives their skin is pastel green. Over their life this becomes striped with white, orange, yellow or tan. Male chameleons are brighter with yellows and blues being more defined. Their colour is affected by social status, stress and the colour around them. On the head is a bump known as a casque which reaches a height of about 5cm (2in) in adults. Female chameleons are smaller than males. The eyes are a pair of half spheres which lie on the head. These are able to move independently and turn in their socket. The inside of the mouth is yellow. Inside is a tongue which may be up to 1.5 times the length of the head and body. Yemen and Saudi Arabia are the traditional homes of the veiled chameleon. They are found in the greener portions of these areas.