Angel's chameleon


Furcifer angeli, also known as Angel's chameleon, initially described as Chamaeleo angeli, is a species of chameleon, a lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is endemic to northwest Madagascar, and was originally described by :de:Édouard-Raoul Brygoo|Édouard-Raoul Brygoo and Charles Antoine Domergue in 1968.

Etymology

The specific name, angeli, is in honor of French herpetologist Fernand Angel.

Distribution and habitat

Furcifer angeli is endemic to Madagascar, and can be found in dry forest at the northwest of the country. It has been found in Bongolava, and between Anjiamangirana I and Tsingy de Namoroka Strict Nature Reserve.
It has also been reported to occur at Ambohibola and on the coast near Antsanitia in Mahajanga province. It has been found at between above sea level. It lives in trees in dry forests and is diurnal.

Conservation status

F. angeli is listed as being of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This is because it has a wide range, estimated to cover an area of. Although the natural habitat of this species is virgin forest, it also occurs close to roads and human habitations. The population size is unknown but is believed to be stable. The main threat to this chameleon is the destruction of forest, including illegal logging, slash-and-burn, but also wildfires.

Description

F. angeli looks like a "drably coloured" version of Furcifer pardalis. It often has a white stripe down each side and can be distinguished from the otherwise similar Furcifer lateralis by the presence of a spike at the front of its head.

Taxonomy

F. angeli was initially described by Brygoo and Domergue in 1968 as Chamaeleo angeli, but was later transferred to the genus Furcifer. Furcifer angeli is also known as "Angel's chameleon" after the French herpetologist Fernand Angel.