Wildlife

Flap-necked Chameleon

Chamaeleo dilepis

The flap-necked chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis) is a species of arboreal chameleon native to sub-Saharan Africa.

Showing stays that recordFlap-necked Chameleon10+ stays list it on site or nearby

Species insights▾

When to visit

Recorded year-round

Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.

Best monthsAny month

Records2,983 records

Curve from 2,983 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.

Where you'll find it

KwaZulu-Natal and beyond

Provinces where Flap-necked Chameleon is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.

2,983 records, iNaturalist

Parks where hosts record the Flap-necked Chameleon

Places to stay

10+ results in South Africa

Singita Ebony Lodge

Mpumalanga

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · 42 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard

Price on request

Singita Boulders Lodge

Mpumalanga

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · 43 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard

Price on request

Singita Lebombo Lodge

Mpumalanga

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · 50 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard

Price on request

Plains Camp @ Rhino Walking Safaris

Mpumalanga

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Aardvark, African elephant · Guided walk, Game drives

Supports BirdLife South Africa

Price on request

Mdluli Safari Lodge

Hazyview

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Game drives

From R 10,670 per night

Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge

Hazyview

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Scenic drives

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 17,400 per night

Izingwe Lodge

Welgevonden Reserve, Vaalwater

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · 15 birds recorded · Aardvark, Banded mongoose · Hiking, Scenic drives

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

Price on request

Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp

Marloth Park

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Impala, Spotted hyena · Safaris, Guided walk

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 11,980 per night

Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp

Marloth Park

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Guided walk

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 17,500 per night

Inzalo Safari Lodge

Welgevonden Reserve, Vaalwater

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · 15 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Scenic drives

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

Price on request

Weenen

Weenen Game Reserve

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · Giraffe, Plains zebra · Hiking, Game drives

From R 130 per night

Monk's Cowl

uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Grassland biome · 30 birds recorded · Real yellowwood, Chacma baboon · Guided walk, Hiking

From R 130 per night

Royal Natal (Thendele, Mahai & Rugged Glen)

uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Grassland biome · 30 birds recorded · Chacma baboon, Bushbuck · Horse riding, Guided walk

From R 360 per night

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park: Mpila Camp

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · 50 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Hiking, Game drives

From R 1,420 per night

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park: Hilltop Camp

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · 50 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Game drives

From R 900 per night

Ithala (Ntshondwe)

Ithala Game Reserve

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · 43 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Hiking, Game drives

From R 130 per night

Ndumo

Ndumo Game Reserve

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Savanna biome · 37 birds recorded · Nile crocodile, Hippopotamus · Hiking, Game drives

From R 190 per night

Injisuthi

uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park

Flap-necked Chameleon recorded here · Forest biome · 30 birds recorded · Real yellowwood, Chacma baboon · Guided walk, Hiking

From R 170 per night

More stays nearby

Babylonstoren

Klapmuts, Simondium

12 birds recorded · Angulate tortoise, Wild olive · Spa, Vineyards

Price on request

Tanda Tula Safari Camp

Limpopo

Savanna biome · 27 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard · Guided walk, Game drives

Price on request

Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge

Hluhluwe

Savanna biome · 285 birds recorded · African wild dog, Spotted hyena · Game drives

Price on request

Thonga Beach Lodge

Manguzi

Forest biome · 60 birds recorded · Humpback whale, Southern right whale · Canoeing, Snorkelling

Price on request

La Clé Lodge & Villas

Franschhoek

Fynbos biome · Cycling

Price on request

Coot Club

Stanford

Fynbos biome · 8 birds recorded · White milkwood, Southern right whale · Whale watching, Canoeing

Price on request

Plan a trip around these stays

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Flap-necked Chameleon

Hosts have recorded the Flap-necked Chameleon at stays in or beside Kruger National Park and Welgevonden Game Reserve.

When to go, park by park

Here all yearEasiest viewing

Best months to visit each park where hosts record the Flap-necked Chameleon
Park	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Kruger	Here	Here	Here	Easiest viewing	Easiest viewing	Easiest viewing	Easiest viewing	Easiest viewing	Easiest viewing	Here	Here	Here
Welgevonden	Here	Here	Here	Here	Easiest viewing	Easiest viewing	Easiest viewing	Easiest viewing

Darker months are each park's own best season, when thinner bush or scarce water makes viewing easier. A sighting is never guaranteed.

Best hours of the day

After dark and around dawn. The Flap-necked Chameleon is mostly active at night, so a night drive gives the best chance.
Daytime, resting. Usually out of sight in cover, a burrow or water.

Ways to look

Drive yourself

Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.

Where hosts record it

Guided drives from a lodge

A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.

Where hosts record it

Species

Chamaeleo dilepis

Records

2 983

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

A record means a host has seen the Flap-necked Chameleon on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.

Which parks and reserves are best for the Flap-necked Chameleon in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Flap-necked Chameleon at stays in or beside Kruger National Park and Welgevonden Game Reserve. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.

Where can you see the Flap-necked Chameleon in South Africa?

The Flap-necked Chameleon is most recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (42% of records), Mpumalanga (25% of records), Limpopo (24% of records), based on 2 983 iNaturalist observations. 18 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Flap-necked Chameleon on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the Flap-necked Chameleon?

The Flap-necked Chameleon is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; Welgevonden Game Reserve: May-Sep, dry season. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.