The Antsingy leaf chameleon (''Brookesia perarmata'') is a species of

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 ...

s in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is also referred to as Armoured leaf chameleon. This species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

and can only be found in the dry deciduous forests of the northern area of the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park in Madagascar's Melaky Region. These chameleons were popular pets for a short time leading to a severely decreasing population trend before pet trade of the species was banned. Deforestation and habitat degradation continue to affect their numbers despite conservation efforts within their range.

Life

Although smaller than most chameleons, The Antsingy leaf chameleon is the largest of the Brookesia (dwarf) genus of chameleons which can grow up to eleven centimeters. This chameleon includes a non-prehensile tail that assists them in locomotion within the leaf litter on the forest ground. Distinguished by bilateral rows of thorny spines along the dorsal surface and its brown coloration. Chameleons can change colors, and this chameleon has a dull coloration. It is

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...

Habitat

This ornate chameleon species occurs in dry, deciduous forest in Madagascar. This chameleon dwells on the forest floor among the dead leaves which it uses for camouflage and climbs up low plant branches when it's time to sleep. The Antsingy Leaf Chameleon lives amongst leaf litter and requires primary, relatively untouched forest habitat. The species can be found within 100 to 430 meters above sea level in the west part of the park. There may be some in the Réserve Naturelle Intégrale de Bemaraha.

Threats

There are many threats to the Antsingy leaf chameleon's habitat but their decline in population was exacerbated due to collection for pet trade. These intricate leaf chameleons became a popular pet for many lizard enthusiasts in the 1980s and into the 90's and continue to draw attention from herpetoculturist.Randrianantoandro, J.C., Randrianavelona, R., Andriantsimanarilafy, R R., Fideline, H.E., Rakotondravony, D., Randrianasolo, M., Ravelomanantsoa, H.L. and Jenkins, R.K.B. 2008. Identifying priority areas for dwarf chameleon (Brookesia spp.) conservation in Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, Madagascar. Oryx 42: 578-573.

Conservation

This species has been listed as Endangered (EN) by

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

since 2011. It was previously listed on the IUCN Redlist in as Vulnerable (VU) in 1996. It is listed in Appendix I of the

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...

meaning that commercial international trade is prohibited. International trade for non-commercial reasons is possible with CITES permits.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q305612 Brookesia

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 ...

Reptiles described in 1933 Taxa named by Fernand Angel Taxonomy articles created by Polbot