Baby chameleons light up Taronga

They might be just five centimetres long but Taronga Zoo's new batch of chameleons are already colouring their world.

The Sydney zoo welcomed more than 20 hatchlings this week, the first colour-changing lizards to be born at the zoo in more than five years.

The gleaming creatures are native to Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Now a pastel green colour, they are expected to mature to a striking full-colour palette featuring golds, greens and blues within a year.

"Veiled Chameleons are a visually amazing species that we're fortunate to have at Taronga," said reptile supervisor Michael McFadden.

They've settled nicely into their temperature-controlled homes in the zoo's reptile enclosure, snacking on crickets, and providing a bright green display for observers.