''Furcifer nicosiai'' is a large

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

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 Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Chamaeleonidae. The 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 ...

to western

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 ...

. Described as new to science in 1999, it was ranked as an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

by the

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 ...

(IUCN). It has only been found in the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park at levels of above mean

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

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 ...

, ''nicosiai'', is in honor of Guido Nicosia, Italian Ambassador to Madagascar (1996–1999).

Description

''Furcifer nicosiai'' is relatively large, and has a high parietal crest (a central ridge down the front of the casque), but lacks appendages on its snout ( rostrum). It features

canthi The canthus (pl. canthi, palpebral commissures) is either corner of the eye where the upper and lower eyelids meet. More specifically, the inner and outer canthi are, respectively, the medial and lateral ends/angles of the palpebral fissure. The ...

rostrales that are separated, a poorly developed gular crest (a row of small spines running down the centre of the throat), a distinctive rostral profile, a complete ventral crest (a row of small conical scales extending down the centre of the belly) and a poorly developed dorsal crest extending from the neck region to the tail. It is similar in appearance to '' Furcifer verrucosus'', with which it is similarly sexually dimorphic. ''Furcifer nicosiai'' can be distinguished from ''F. verrucosus'' by its smaller size, different colour patterns, and the orientation of its hemipenis.

Distribution and habitat

''Furcifer nicosiai'' is found in the limestone outcrops in a small area of west Madagascar, in the Melaky Region, north of the

Manambolo River ''For the rural municipality, see Manambolo (disambiguation)'' The Manambolo River is a river in the highlands of western Madagascar of 370 km. It crosses the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve and the Maningoza Reserve. The unpaved Rou ...

. It has only been found in the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park (Parc National Tsingy de Bemaraha) though there is a possibility that it may also be found further north. The size of the park is , although it is not fully covered with forest habitat suitable for this species. It has been recorded between above mean

. The IUCN has ranked ''Furcifer nicosiai'' as an

Endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

. Its population is believed to be in decline. The major threat to the species is the fragmentation, loss and degradation of the forest it lives in, which includes damaging human activities like agriculture, logging, and the clearing of land by fire.

Taxonomy

''Furcifer nicosiai'' was initially described by Jesu, Matioli and Schimmenti in 1999. The

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...

specimens were collected in February and March 1997, during the

rainy season The rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Rainy Season may also refer to: * ''Rainy Season'' (short story), a 1989 short horror story by Stephen King * "Rainy Season", a 2018 song by Monni * ''T ...

. ''Furcifer oustaleti'', ''Furcifer verrucosus'' and ''Furcifer nicosiai'' group of Chamaeleonidae may well contain other undescribed species and needs a major revision according to the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

of Threatened Species.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3090999 Furcifer Endangered fauna of Africa Endemic fauna of Madagascar Reptiles of Madagascar Reptiles described in 1999