Brookesia betschi

Brookesia betschi, commonly known as Blanc's leaf chameleon[2] or the Marojejy leaf chameleon,[1] is a species of chameleon endemic to Madagascar. It was described by Édouard-Raoul Brygoo, Charles Pierre Blanc and Charles Antoine Domergue in 1974.[3]

Brookesia betschi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Chamaeleonidae
Genus: Brookesia
Species:
B. betschi
Binomial name
Brookesia betschi
Brygoo, Blanc & Domergue, 1974

Taxonomy

The type specimen of the species B. betschi was collected in 1973, at 1,300 m (4,300 ft) in a forest in Marojejy.[4]

Etymology

The specific epithet, betschi, honors French biologist Jean-Marie Betsch.[5][6]

Distribution and habitat

Brookesia betschi is found in forests of northern Madagascar at altitudes of 1,150 to 1,650 m (3,770 to 5,410 ft).[1] It is found in subhumid forests in the Manongarivo Reserve,[7] the Anjanaharibe-Sud Reserve,[8] Marojejy National Park and the Tsaratanana Reserve, as well as in forests between them, over a total area of 11,090 km2 (4,280 sq mi). The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the Marojejy leaf chameleon as Near Threatened due to the loss of rainforest in northern Madagascar.[1]

This species has very specialised microhabitat requirements and does not tolerate disturbance. It is threatened by destruction of the forest for agriculture by slash and burn and logging.[1] Although its range is fragmented into a number of separate blocks, each one is thought to be large enough to support a viable population.[1]

Biology

The Marojejy leaf chameleon is diurnal, spending the day searching through leaf litter for insects and other small invertebrates. If it is disturbed, it remains motionless, relying on its cryptic colouration to provide camouflage. It perches on low trees and plants at night, when it is most easily spotted.[1][9]

References
  1. Jenkins RKB, Andreone F, Andriamazava A, Anjeriniaina M, Glaw F, Rabibisoa N, Rakotomalala D, Randrianantoandro JC, Randrianiriana J, Randrianizahana H, Ratsoavina F, Robsomanitrandrasana E (2011). "Brookesia betschi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T172912A6940501. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T172912A6940501.en.
  2. "Brookesia betschi - Animals". AnimalsABC. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
  3. "ITIS Standard Report Page: Brookesia betschi ". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
  4. Klaver, Charles J.J.; Böhme, Wolfgang (1997). Das Tierreich — The Animal Kingdom: A Characterization and Compilation of the Recent Animal Groups. Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter. p. 2. ISBN 978-3-11-015187-9. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  5. Brygoo É-R, Blanc CP, Domergue CA (1974). "Notes sur les Brookesia de Madagascar. VII. Brookesia du Marojezy. B. betschi et B. griveaudi n.sp. (Reptilia, Squamata, Chamaeleonidae)". Bulletin de l'Académie malgache. 51 (1): 167–184. (Brookesia betschi, new species). (in French).
  6. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Brookesia betschi, p. 24).
  7. Rakotomalala D (2002). "Diversité des reptiles et amphibiens de la Réserve Spéciale de Manongarivo, Madagascar ". Boissiera 59: 339-358. (in French).
  8. Raxworthy CJ, Andreone F, Nussbaum RA, Rabibisoa N, Randriamahazo HR (1998). "Amphibians and reptiles of the Anjanaharibe-Sud Massif, Madagascar: Elevational distribution and regional endemicity. In A floral and faunal inventory of the Reserve Speciale d'Anjanaharibe-Sud: with reference to elevational variation". Fieldiana: Zoology 90: 79-92.
  9. "Brookesia chameleons of Madagascar". WildMadagascar.org. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
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