O'Shaughnessy's chameleon (''Calumma oshaughnessyi'') is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

chameleon Chameleons or chamaeleons (Family (biology), family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 200 species described as of June 2015. The members of this Family (biology), family are best known for ...

, a

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Chamaeleonidae. The species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

. It was named after the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

poet and

herpetologist Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (in ...

Arthur O'Shaughnessy Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy (14 March 184430 January 1881) was a British poet and herpetologist. Of Irish descent, he was born in London. He is most remembered for his poem " Ode", from his 1874 collection ''Music and Moonlight'', which ...

.''Calumma oshaughnessyi'' , The Reptile Database
/ref>

Distribution and habitat

O'Shaughnessy's chameleon has a geographic range of about 18,000 square kilometers (6,950 square miles) throughout the southeastern portion of the central highlands of Madagascar. Its distribution extends from

Tsinjoarivo, Ambatolampy Tsinjoarivo is a rural municipality in Madagascar. It is located in the Districts of Madagascar, district of Ambatolampy District, Ambatolampy, which is in the Vakinankaratra Region, and is alongside the Onive River. The population of the commun ...

in the north to

Andohahela National Park The Andohahela National Park is situated in Anosy in the south-east of Madagascar. It is remarkable for the extremes of habitats that are represented within it. The park covers of the Anosy mountain range, the southernmost spur of the Malagasy H ...

in the south. The species is highly dependent on intact, humid forest as its habitat, living in lower densities on selectively logged territories.''Calumma oshaughnessyi'' (O'Shaughnessy's Chameleon) at The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
/ref>

Description

O'Shaughnessy's chameleon, being closely related to

Parson's chameleon Parson's chameleon (''Calumma parsonii'') is a species of chameleon in the family Chamaeleonidae that is endemic to eastern and northern Madagascar. It is found from lowlands to an altitude of above sea level and mainly inhabits humid primary f ...

, is similar in shape and color but slightly smaller.

Albert Günther Albert Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther , also Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther (3October 18301February 1914), was a German-born British zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. Günther is ranked the second-most productive reptile tax ...

, the first to scientifically describe the species, stated that the type specimen is a male measuring 15.5 inches (39.4 cm) in total length, including its tail which is 9 inches (22.9 cm) long. It is mostly brownish gray, with a darker throat and jaw. Although lacking horns, the male of the species has a short, bony structure on the snout. The female does not have this structure.

Behavior

During a 1997 study, researchers discovered that adult O'Shaughnessy's chameleons are most active in the morning and the evening.

Conservation and threats

Although in some places common, O'Shaughnessy's chameleon is severely threatened. Its populations are declining and fragmented, and the species is ranked as vulnerable by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

. Although reports of illegal trade in the species do exist, its primary threat is habitat loss, such as logging and deforestation. While significant populations do exist in protected areas, further loss of inhabitable terrain could fragment and isolate these communities.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2934439 Calumma Endemic fauna of Madagascar Reptiles described in 1881 Taxa named by Albert Günther