Midday Jird vs Veiled Chameleon

Meriones meridianus compared with Chamaeleo calyptratus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Midday Jird	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	Muridae (Mice & Rats)	Chamaeleonidae (Chameleons)
Genus	Meriones	Chamaeleo (Chameleons)
Species	Meriones meridianus	Chamaeleo calyptratus

Evolutionary Relationship

Midday Jird and Veiled Chameleon share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Midday Jird

LC — Least Concern

Veiled Chameleon

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Midday Jird	Veiled Chameleon
Diet	—	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	—	5 years
Average Length	—	50 cm
Average Weight	—	200 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Midday Jird

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Veiled Chameleon

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Distributed across Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Veiled Chameleon

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