全球已認知的217種變色龍中，有96種是馬達加斯加獨有種。每年有大量被野外捕捉作寵物買賣，當地人甚至非法進入保護區內捕捉，估計非法貿易是合法出口的十到一百倍。野生捕捉及運送變色龍會對牠們造成壓力、受傷甚至死亡。而且變色龍屬較難圈養的野生動物，若不幸生病或死亡，大多人會選擇再購買另一隻，避免支付昂貴的獸醫費用，導致變色龍的需求持續上升，造成惡性循環。

96 of the 217 known chameleon species are endemic to Madagascar. Large amount of them are being caught in the wild for pet trade, some locals even take the risk to collect them illegally in protected areas. The estimated number of chameleon being illegally smuggled is 10 to 100 times more than the number for legal trade. Collecting chameleons could case stress, injury or even death to them. Chameleons are not easy to keep as pet, and when they get sick or die, people usually would buy a new one rather than paying for the expensive veterinary fees.