Malagasy giant chameleon

Malagasy giant chameleon
Female Furcifer oustaleti in the Anjajavy Forest
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Chamaeleonidae
Genus:	Furcifer
Species:	F. oustaleti
Binomial name
Furcifer oustaleti (Mocquard, 1894)

The Oustalet's or Malagasy giant chameleon (Furcifer oustaleti) is a very large species of chameleon that is endemic to Madagascar, but also has been introduced near Nairobi in Kenya (though its current status there is unclear). It occurs in a wide range of habitats, even among degraded vegetation within villages, but is relatively rare in primary forest. With a maximum length of 68.5 cm (27 in), it is considered the largest species of chameleon, but that claim is occasionally contested by the Parsons chameleon Calumma parsonii as the Parsons tends to be more heavily built but slightly shorter in length. The diet of this chameleon includes, but is not limited to, invertebrates such as large insects. Prey is acquired with a long, muscular tongue.

Taxonomy

Furcifer oustaleti walking in the Anjajavy Forest

Oustalet's Chameleon at the Peyrieras Reserve

Its generic name (Furcifer) is derived from the Latin root furci meaning "forked" and refers to the shape of the animal's feet. Its specific name is a Latinized form of French biologist Jean-Frédéric Émile Oustalet's last name, who first described the species.