Alston s Cotton Rat vs Veiled Chameleon

Sigmodon alstoni compared with Chamaeleo calyptratus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alston s Cotton Rat	Veiled Chameleon
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Squamata (Lizards & Snakes)
Family	Cricetidae	Chamaeleonidae (Chameleons)
Genus	Sigmodon	Chamaeleo (Chameleons)
Species	Sigmodon alstoni	Chamaeleo calyptratus

Evolutionary Relationship

Alston s Cotton Rat and Veiled Chameleon share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Alston s Cotton Rat

LC — Least Concern

Veiled Chameleon

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alston s Cotton Rat	Veiled Chameleon
Diet	—	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	—	5 years
Average Length	—	50 cm
Average Weight	—	200 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alston s Cotton Rat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Venezuela.

Veiled Chameleon

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Distributed across Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Alston s Cotton Rat

The Alston s Cotton Rat (Sigmodon alstoni) is a species in the genus Sigmodon. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Distributed across Colombia and Venezuela.

Veiled Chameleon

The veiled chameleon is a large chameleon species native to Yemen and Saudi Arabia. They are popular as exotic pets.