Chameleos Ecology

Disclaimer: This is merely a plausible explanation for the monster(s) in this article, and should not be considered canon.

In-Game Information
Eyewitness sightings of this elder dragon are extremely rare due to its ability to literally vanish; however, details of this are unclear. It is thought that shocking it may make it reappear, but this is unproven.

Taxonomy
Chameleos is a member of the elite group of monsters known simply as Elder Dragons. These powerful creatures are very intelligent, often retreating from battle after a time rather than risking death. Chameleos is different from its elder brethren, as it is not nearly as aggressive nor as "elegant" in its appearance as other Elder Dragon species. It is also more reptilian in appearance and larger.

Habitat Range
The Chameleos' Habitat range is restricted to the Swamp, Jungle and the Forest and Hills, these environments provide the correct humidity outside of the Chameleos's body to make the blood pressure become great enough to allow invisibility. This is explained by the Elder outside the training school. The creature will not venture from these temperate climates, and it doesn't appear capable of surviving in environmental extremes.

Ecological Niche
Chameleos is an ambush hunter. It will wait patiently, blending perfectly into its environment. When prey approaches it will act accordingly. Chameleos can and will eat almost anything, should its prey be a Neopteron such as a Vespoid, it will simply snatch it out of the air using its long sticky tongue. But should Chameleos' prey be larger, it will first douse its foe with a blast of acid before rushing in to attack with its claws or poison, of course they cant eat anything larger than this because of their own size. Chameleos are equally adept at hunting from both air and land, although when flying they run the risk of having either their wings heard or their unique scent detected by large wyverns.

Their eating patterns are fixed on their size, for example a small chameleos might only be able to eat a mosswine or a velociprey, whereas a very large chameleos might be able to hunt much larger prey such as small kut ku or a bulldrome. Chameleos are thought to be cannibalistic monsters though since they rarely run into one another (except during their mating season) this happens very rarely.

Biological Adaptations
Chameleos has a number of biological adaptations that make it an extremely unique dragon. Most notably is Chameleos' trademark camoflauge mechanism. It is produced when Chameleos blood pressure reaches a certain threshold that allows the photo-reseptive pigments in its skin to expand, then using a combination visual stimuli and sheer instinct, Chameleos will produce a near flawless illusion on its skin. This illusion is not however, perfect. The creatures smell and any noises it makes are obviously still noticable. Also, if Chameleos sustains signifigant damage or dismemberment (as is the case with its tail) it can lose its ability altogether. Chameleos also loses its stealth if poisoned, as its body will be busy battling the toxic invaders and it will involuntarily lose control of its camoflauge.

Chameleos also have excellent vision, (irony considered the creature itself has camoflauge). They have independently moving eyeballs that protrude from the sides of its head to create a wider field of vision. Chameleos will constantly scan the immediate area, searching for any potential prey, or sizeable threat.

Chameleos has several nasty defenses should it ever come under attack. Chameleos stomach acid is incredibly potent, capable of dissolving all but rock. In a pitch, the dragon will regurgitate a large glob of stomach acid and hurl it at a foe. If not washed off or otherwise removed quickly, it can literally begin digesting the unfortunate victim. For hunters this often means severe armor degradation and severally decreased stamina. Chameleos also possess an extremely strong poison. The poison is gathered in a powder-like form in the small bells on the creatures tail. It can be released at will and often whipped into a thick cloud by the dragon's wings.

Behavior
Chameleos is a very bright creature. It will wait patiently (sometimes for days) at a spot of importance such as a water source of natural crossroads, waiting for prey to pass by. During this time it will make as little noise as possible and remaining perfectly still. If this "sit-and-wait" approach is not working, Chameleos will take a much more active approach to hunting. It will silently fly over its hunting grounds (cloaked the entire time), scanning the ground for prey. When not threatened, and preferably full, Chameleos is actually quite docile. The creature has even been observed abandoning its camoflauge and taking a drink from a forest spring alongside much smaller creatures such as Mosswine. When threatened however, Chameleos reveals its true colors. It will do everything in its power to kill its aggressor; this ranges from tongue attacks, to claw swipes, to rams, and even the use of acid and poison. Should Chameleos emerge victorious, it will promptly devour its victim, let out a loud victory roar, and then silently slip back into the forest.

When it runs into other large monsters (for example a rathalos or rathian) the monsters don't usually confront each other, the chameleos usually stays out of sight, whether this is out of fear from other large monsters or just ignoring them because they are too large to digest no one knows, however these meetings are rare because other large monsters usually stay out of the area when an elder dragon is around. Even Kushala Daora, being smaller, best leave Chameleos alone when the 2 meet up in the Jungle.

When a chameleos reaches a certain size it most likely goes after larger and more powerful prey to sustain itself, even eating Yian Kut Ku's and other bird wyverns which live nearby.