''Furcifer timoni'' 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 in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.

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 ...

, ''timoni'', is in honor of Timon Robert Glaw (born 2004), who is the son of German herpetologist Frank Glaw, senior author of this species.

Geographic range and habitat

''Furcifer timoni'' is endemic to the Montagne d'Ambre National Park ( Amber Mountain National Park) near the northern tip of Madagascar. Its geographic range probably extends to at a height of between above sea level. Based on some photographic records, it may also be found in the Marojejy National Park (Marojejy Massif), although this fact has not been confirmed. Its preferred natural habitat is forest.

Conservation status

''Furcifer timoni'' has been ranked by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to be Near Threatened, and it is one of eleven species of

discovered since 1999. It has been listed by the IUCN as Near Threatened because there is a possible threat which may affect the species. If the threat were to become active, ''Furcifer timoni'' would not become Critically Endangered. Instead, as it has a range of 385 square kilometres (149 square miles) in one place, it would be able to be classified as endangered. There are also threats of

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

for

charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...

and the collection of rosewood.

Description

Gravid female paratype of Furcifer timoni

Female specimens of ''F. timoni'' have a base colour of green, and a yellow-orange underside. The body is covered in blue spots, and the top of the head is red with blue spots. The head of males of the species is green with purplish spots.

Reproduction

''Furcifer timoni'' 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 ...

. Female specimens have been found with up to 14 eggs.

Taxonomy

''Furcifer timoni'' was initially described as a new species in 2009 by German herpetologists Frank Glaw, Jörn Köhler, and Miguel Vences.