The Angel's chameleon (''Furcifer angeli''), initially described as ''Chamaeleo angeli'', is a species of

chameleon Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...

, a

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar, and was originally described by Édouard-Raoul Brygoo and

Charles Antoine Domergue Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...

in 1968.

Etymology

The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

, ''angeli'', is in honour of French herpetologist

Fernand Angel Fernand Angel (2 February 1881, Douzy – 13 July 1950, Paris) was a French herpetologist. In 1905 he began work as Assistant Preparator under Léon Vaillant and François Mocquard at the ''Muséum national d'histoire naturelle'' in Paris. Later o ...

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

Namoroka National Park Namoroka National Park, formerly known as Tsingy de Namoroka Strict Nature Reserve, is a national park located in the northwestern part of Madagascar in the Mahajanga Province, specifically, the Soalala District. History Namoroka Strict Natur ...

. 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 (IUCN). 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'' (the panther chameleon). 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

Etymology

Distribution and habitat

Conservation status

Description

Taxonomy

References

Further reading