DOCSLIB.ORG

Furcifer Pardalis) from Florida, USA (N = 20)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Furcifer Pardalis) from Florida, USA (N = 20) HTTPS://JOURNALS.KU.EDU/REPTILESANDAMPHIBIANSTABLE OF CONTENTS IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANSREPTILES • VOL & AMPHIBIANS15, NO 4 • DEC 2008 • 28(2):189 257–261 • AUG 2021 IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS CONSERVATION AND NATURAL HISTORY TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATUREExtreme ARTICLES Male Color Polymorphism . Chasing Bullsnakes (Pituophis catenifer sayi) in Wisconsin: SupportsOn the Road to Understanding the the Ecology Introduction and Conservation of the Midwest’s Giant Serpent ......................of Multiple Joshua M. Kapfer 190 . The Shared History of Treeboas (Corallus grenadensis) and Humans on Grenada: ANative-range Hypothetical Excursion ............................................................................................................................ Panther ChameleonRobert W. Henderson 198 RESEARCH ARTICLES (Furcifer. The Texas Horned pardalis Lizard in Central and Western) TexasLineages ....................... Emily Henry, Jason to Brewer, Florida, Krista Mougey, and Gad Perry 204USA . The Knight Anole (Anolis equestris) in Florida .............................................Brian J. Camposano, Kenneth L. Krysko, Kevin M. Enge, Ellen M. Donlan, and Michael Granatosky 212 Thomas W. Fieldsend1, Natalie M. Claunch2, Brian T. Fridie3, Colin M. Goodman4, Madison E. A. Harman4, Kenneth L. CONSERVATIONKrysko5, Christopher ALERT J. Raxworthy6, Christina M. Romagosa4, and Timothy M. Collins1 . 1DepartmentWorld’s Mammals of Biological in Crisis Sciences, ............................................................................................................................... Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA ([email protected]).............................. 220 . More Than Mammals ...................................................................................................................................................................... 223 2School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA . The “Dow Jones Index” of Biodiversity ........................................................................................................................................... 225 3Department of Biology, Eckerd College, Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA 4 HUSBANDRYDepartment of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA 5Division of Herpetology, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, Florida, USA . Captive Care of the Central Netted Dragon ....................................................................................................... Shannon Plummer 226 6Division of Vertebrate Zoology, Department of Herpetology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA PROFILE . Kraig Adler: A Lifetime Promoting Herpetology ................................................................................................ Michael L. Treglia 234 he state of COMMENTARYFlorida, USA, is home to more non-native on Earth (Krysko et al. 2016); many of these show unam- Tspecies of amphibians. The Turtles Haveand Been reptiles Watching than Me ........................................................................................................................ anywhere else biguous evidence of having Ericderived Gangloff from238 multiple geneti- BOOK REVIEW . Threatened Amphibians of the World edited by S.N. Stuart, M. Hoffmann, J.S. Chanson, N.A. Cox, R. Berridge, P. Ramani, and B.E. Young .............................................................................................................. Robert Powell 243 CONSERVATION RESEARCH REPORTS: Summaries of Published Conservation Research Reports ................................. 245 NATURAL HISTORY RESEARCH REPORTS: Summaries of Published Reports on Natural History ................................. 247 NEWBRIEFS ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 248 EDITORIAL INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 251 FOCUS ON CONSERVATION: A Project You Can Support ............................................................................................... 252 Front Cover. Shannon Plummer. Back Cover. Michael Kern Totat et velleseque audant mo Totat et velleseque audant mo estibus inveliquo velique rerchil estibus inveliquo velique rerchil erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum fugiatis maionsequat eumque fugiatis maionsequat eumque moditia erere nonsedis ma sectiatur moditia erere nonsedis ma sectia- ma derrovitae voluptam, as quos tur ma derrovitae voluptam, as accullabo. Fig. 1. Modified version of the identification key from Grbic et al. (2015) used in this study to determine the probable clade of origin of adult male Panther Chameleons (Furcifer pardalis) from Florida, USA (n = 20). Note that the key does not allow for definitive assignment to Clade B or Clade C/Subclade C2. Representative images: Clade A (upper panel), Homestead, Miami-Dade County, photograph by Thomas W. Fieldsend; Clade A (lower panel), Babson Park, Polk County, UF-Herpetology image voucher 190325a; Clade B or Clade C/Subclade 2 (upper panel), Orange County, photograph by Natalie M. Claunch; Clade B or Clade C/Subclade 2 (lower panel), Coconut Creek, Broward County, UF-Herpetology image voucher 170801a; Clade C/Subclade C1 (upper panel), Sarasota County, photograph by Colin M. Goodman; Clade C/Subclade C1 (lower panel), Orange County, photograph by Brian T. Fridie. Copyright is held by the authors. Articles in R&A are made available under a 257 Reptiles & Amphibians ISSN 2332-4961 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license. FIELDSEND ET AL. REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 28(2): 257–261 • AUG 2021 cally distinct native-range lineages (e.g., Kolbe et al. 2007; Panther Chameleons exhibit striking sexual dimor- Fieldsend et al. 2021). When distinct lineages occur in sym- phism, with adult male coloration varying from blue, green, patry, hybridization or admixture can result, sometimes lead- or gray to brown or red, whereas adult females are generally ing to elevated population-level genetic diversity (Kolbe et al. drab tan or brown (Krysko et al. 2019). Moreover, the color 2007; Dlugosch and Parker 2008; Gillis et al. 2009), indi- polymorphism exhibited by adult males of allopatric Panther vidual-level heterosis (i.e., hybrid vigor; Facon et al. 2005), Chameleon populations in Madagascar is spatially structured or both (Facon et al. 2005). Both phenomena can increase and reflects underlying interpopulation genetic diversity the invasiveness of non-native organisms, namely their abil- (Grbic et al. 2015). Using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), ity to establish and spread in their novel range (Facon et al. Grbic et al. (2015) identified and mapped the distributions 2005; Drake 2006; Crawford and Whitney 2010; Hahn and of three major native-range Panther Chameleon clades (lin- Rieseberg 2017; Wagner et al. 2017; Smyser et al. 2020). eages): Clade A, from northwestern Madagascar and the The Panther Chameleon, Furcifer pardalis (Cuvier 1829), islands of Nosy Be and Nosy Komba; Clade B, present in is native to Madagascar (Raxworthy et al. 2002). This species northern Madagascar and along the northeastern coast; and was first discovered in Florida in 2008 (Krysko et al. 2011), is Clade C, which is divisible into two subclades, C1 and C2, now established (Krysko et al. 2016), and has been reported from the eastern coast and the island of Nosy Boraha (Isle or documented by voucher specimens from seven counties: Sainte Marie). Grbic et al. (2015) also used machine learn- Broward (Rochford et al. 2013), Charlotte (MorphoBank ing to create a color-based identification key, which can be M782844), DeSoto (Krysko et al. 2011), Miami-Dade used to assign adult male Panther Chameleons to a native (UF-Herpetology 178186), Orange (UF-Herpetology 191357), clade/subclade. Although Panther Chameleons are known to Polk (UF-Herpetology 190325), and Sarasota (this study). change color seasonally (Grbic et al. 2015, Figure S5) or in Fig. 2. Adult male Panther Chameleons (Furcifer pardalis) from Florida, USA, analyzed in this study: (A) Orange County, photograph by Brian T. Fridie; (B) south of Arcadia, DeSoto Couty, UF-Herpetology image voucher 153489; (C) Sarasota County, photograph by Brian T. Fridie; (D) Orange County, photograph by Natalie M. Claunch; (E) Coconut Creek, Broward County, UF-Herpetology image voucher 170514; (F) Orange County, photograph by Brian T. Fridie; (G) Orange County, photograph by Natalie M. Claunch; (H) Orange County, photograph by Brian T. Fridie; (I) Orange County, photograph by Brian T. Fridie; (J) Sarasota County, photograph by Brian T. Fridie; (K) Babson Park, Polk County, photograph by Brian T. Fridie; (L) Homestead, Miami-Dade County, UF-Herpetology image voucher 178186b; (M) Orange County, photograph by Natalie M. Claunch; (N) Babson Park, Polk County, EDDMaps Record ID 4766953. The complete set of images included in this study is archived in Morphobank (see text). 258 FIELDSEND ET AL. REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 28(2): 257–261 • AUG 2021 response to stress (Teyssier et al. 2015), geographic differences from a genuine lack of differences in color between adult male in adult male base coloration nevertheless
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Care Sheet for the Panther Chameleon Furcifer Pardalis By
    Care Sheet for the Panther Chameleon Furcifer pardalis By Petr Necas & Bill Strand Legend Sub-legend Description Taxon Furcifer pardalis Panther Chameleon (English) Common Names Sakorikita (Malagassy) Original name Chamaeleo pardalis Author Cuvier, 1829 Original description Règne, animal, 2nd ed., 2: 60 Type locality Ile de France (= Mauritius, erroneous), restricted to Madagascar Typus HNP 6520 A formally monotypic species with no recognized subspecies, however recent studies reveal many (4 big, up to 11) entities within this species, defined geographically, that show different level of relativeness, some so distant from each other to be possibly con- sidered a separate species and/or subspecies. Taxonomy Historically, many synonyms were introduced, such as Chamaeleo ater, niger, guen- theri, longicauda, axillaris, krempfi. The term “locale” is used in captive management only; it has no taxonomic relevance and refers to the distinct subpopulations named usually after a village within its (often not isolated and well defined) range, differing from each other through unique color- Taxonomy ation and patterns, mainly males. The distinguished “locales” are as follows: Ambanja, Ambilobe, Ampitabe, Androngombe, Ankaramy, Ankarana (E and W), Andapa, Anki- fy, Antalaha, Antsiranana (Diego Suarez), Beramanja, Cap Est, Djangoa, Fenoarivo, Mahavelona, Mangaoka, Manambato, Mananara, Maroantsetra, Marojejy, Nosy Be, Nosy Boraha, Nosy Faly, Nosy Mangabe, Nosy Mitsio, Sambava, Sambirano, Soanier- ana Ivongo, Toamasina (Tamatave), Vohimana. Captive projects include often delib- erate crossbreeding of “locales” that lead to genetically unidentifiable animals and should be omitted. Member of the genus Furcifer. 2 Legend Sub-legend Description Distributed along NE, N, NW and E coast of Madagascar, south reaching the vicinity of Tamatave, including many offshore islands (e.g.
    [Show full text]
  • MADAGASCAR: the Wonders of the “8Th Continent” a Tropical Birding Custom Trip
    MADAGASCAR: The Wonders of the “8th Continent” A Tropical Birding Custom Trip October 20—November 6, 2016 Guide: Ken Behrens All photos taken during this trip by Ken Behrens Annotated bird list by Jerry Connolly TOUR SUMMARY Madagascar has long been a core destination for Tropical Birding, and with the opening of a satellite office in the country several years ago, we further solidified our expertise in the “Eighth Continent.” This custom trip followed an itinerary similar to that of our main set-departure tour. Although this trip had a definite bird bias, it was really a general natural history tour. We took our time in observing and photographing whatever we could find, from lemurs to chameleons to bizarre invertebrates. Madagascar is rich in wonderful birds, and we enjoyed these to the fullest. But its mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects are just as wondrous and accessible, and a trip that ignored them would be sorely missing out. We also took time to enjoy the cultural riches of Madagascar, the small villages full of smiling children, the zebu carts which seem straight out of the Middle Ages, and the ingeniously engineered rice paddies. If you want to come to Madagascar and see it all… come with Tropical Birding! Madagascar is well known to pose some logistical challenges, especially in the form of the national airline Air Madagascar, but we enjoyed perfectly smooth sailing on this tour. We stayed in the most comfortable hotels available at each stop on the itinerary, including some that have just recently opened, and savored some remarkably good food, which many people rank as the best Madagascar Custom Tour October 20-November 6, 2016 they have ever had on any birding tour.
    [Show full text]
  • Furcifer Cephalolepis Günther, 1880
    AC22 Doc. 10.2 Annex 7 Furcifer cephalolepis Günther, 1880 FAMILY: Chamaeleonidae COMMON NAMES: Comoro Islands Chameleon (English); Caméléon des Comores (French) GLOBAL CONSERVATION STATUS: Not yet assessed by IUCN. SIGNIFICANT TRADE REVIEW FOR: Comoros Range State selected for review Range State Exports* Urgent, Comments (1994-2003) possible or least concern Comoros 7,150 Least Locally abundant. No trade recorded since 1993, when only 300 exported. concern No known monitoring or evidence of non-detriment findings. *Excluding re-exports SUMMARY Furcifer cephalolepis is a relatively small chameleon endemic to the island of Grand Comoro (Ngazidja) in the Comoros, where it occurs at altitudes of between 300 m and 650 m, and has an area of occupancy of between 300 km2 and 400 km2. It occurs in disturbed and secondary vegetation, including in towns, and can reportedly be locally abundant, although no quantitative measures of population size are available. Plausible estimates indicate that populations may be in the range of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. The species is exported as a live animal for the pet trade. Recorded exports from the Comoros began in 2000 and, between then and 2003, some 7,000 animals were recorded as exported, latterly almost all to the USA. Only 300 were recorded in trade in 2003, and none in 2004 (or, to date, in 2005), despite the fact that exports of other Comorean reptiles, which dropped to a low or zero level in 2003, began again in 2004. Captive breeding has taken place, in the USA at least. The species is not known to be covered by any national legislation.
    [Show full text]
  • Extending the Known Distribution of Nicosia's Chameleon
    Herpetology Notes, volume 14: 455-460 (2021) (published online on 26 February 2021) Extending the known distribution of Nicosia’s chameleon, Furcifer nicosiai Jesu, Mattioli & Schimmenti, 1999 (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae) Francesco Belluardo1,*, Gonçalo M. Rosa2,3, Franco Andreone4, Elodie A. Courtois5, Javier Lobón-Rovira1, Ronald A. Nussbaum6, Miary Raselimanana7, Malalatiana Rasoazanany7, Christopher J. Raxworthy8, and Angelica Crottini1 The genus Furcifer Fitzinger, 1843 includes 24 region (Fig. 1, white circles; Table 1) (Randrianantoandro species of chameleons, most of which are endemic to et al., 2008; Raselimanana, 2008; Bora et al., 2010; Madagascar (Glaw and Vences, 2007; Uetz et al., 2020). Randriamoria, 2011; Brown et al., 2014; Goodman et Furcifer nicosiai Jesu, Mattioli & Schimmenti, 1999 al., 2018). Furcifer nicosiai habitat encompasses dense is a medium-sized species belonging to the Furcifer sub-humid and dry forests of low elevation, between verrucosus (Cuvier, 1829) phenetic group (Glaw and 57–571 m above sea level ~ a.s.l. (Bora et al., 2010). Vences, 2007). Although slightly smaller, F. nicosiai is Several records within the Menabe region (within the morphologically similar to Furcifer oustaleti (Mocquard, Paysage Harmonieux Protégé de Menabe Antimena, 1894), whose subadults can be mistaken with adults of about 60 km south of Tsingy de Bemaraha) refer to this species (Glaw and Vences, 2007). a population of F. nicosiai that appears to have some With Tsingy de Bemaraha as the type locality of F. morphological differences to the population from the nicosiai (Jesu et al., 1999), the species was thought to type locality. A molecular characterisation is needed have a distribution limited to western Madagascar, with, to assess the taxonomic identity of these populations, until now, only a few additional records in the Melaky but for consistency we here continue to assign them to this species (Raselimanana, 2008; Randrianantoandro et al., 2010; Eckhardt et al., 2019) (Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Panther Chameleon Furcifer Pardalis Adult Size: Males up to 20 Inches
    Care and information sheet Panther Chameleon Furcifer pardalis Adult Size: Males up to 20 inches. Females much smaller, almost half the size of males. Life Span: Up to ten years in captivity, with an average lifespan of five. Breeding females tend only to live a couple of years. Male/Female Differences: Males are almost twice the size of females and are much more brightly coloured Compatibility: Panther Chameleons are solitary creatures and should be kept as such. Females may be introduced to a male's cage during breeding season, but should be removed as soon as possible. Origin: Panther Chameleons are exclusively found on the island of Madagascar Climate: Warm temperate, high humidity but not excessively hot. Day Cycle: Diurnal (awake during the day) Temperature: A gradient of heat from 75 – 85°F should be provided during the day with a basking point. Temp should drop 10 – 15° at night, but not below 65. Lighting: Chameleons need a source of UVB light to properly metabolize calcium. This should be provided in the form of a reptile fluorescent or mercury vapor bulb in a normal day cycle (10 – 12 hours/day). Humidity: High humidity is essential to a Panther's well being. 65-80%. Accomplish this by misting the cage several times daily or with the addition of moisture retaining decorations, such as live plants or water features. Wilmette Pet – 625 Green Bay Road – Wilmette, IL 60091 www.wilmettepet.com – 847.251.6750 Page 1 Habitat/Territory: Jungle/Rain forest. Chameleons from different geographical areas in Madagascar can be identified by different colour markings.
    [Show full text]
  • Panther Chameleon
    Panther Chameleon Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Chamaeleonidae Genus: Furcifer Size: Male length: Up to 23cm Female length: Up to 13.5cm Exhibiting some of the most spectacular colour variations of all chameleons, the large-bodied panther General chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) is highly sought after by reptile keepers. Interestingly, populations from different locations within this species’ range each have a particular colouration and patterning, which is generally most pronounced during courtship or defensive displays. Male panther chameleons from the Madagascan island of Nosy Be, for example, have uniform striking blue-green, emerald-green or turquoise bodies, whereas males from the north-west coast are vivid pink, with a yellowish white stripe along the flanks, a colour form known as “the pink panther.” Other colours found in the males may include orange, red and dark green, with a hugely variable patterning of coloured bands, stripes and spots, especially around the head and eyes. By contrast, female panther chameleons are mostly dull, uniform grey, brown or faint green, except during breeding, when receptive females become pale or vivid orange to pink, later changing to black, with bright orange or pink vertical bars when gravid. Like many other chameleon species, the panther chameleon’s head extends at the rear into a raised bony prominence known as a “casque” Endemic to Madagascar, the panther chameleon is found in coastal regions and islands of central- Range eastern, north-eastern, northern and north-western Madagascar. Introduced populations are also found on the islands of Reunion and Mauritius, around 500 kilometres east of Madagascar The panther chameleon mainly inhabits lowland, humid forest.
    [Show full text]
  • With Its Rolling Eyes and Changeable Colors, a Chameleon Is Like No Other Animal on Earth
    This jewel-colored panther chameleon looks like a neon rainbow! by Ellen Lambeth photos by Christian Ziegler With its rolling eyes and changeable colors, a chameleon is like no other animal on Earth. There are more than 200 different kinds of chameleons (kuh-MEE-lee-unz), and nearly all of them live in Africa. These reptiles Perched on a man’s come in lots of shapes, colors, and patterns. fingertip is the world’s smallest chameleon. They vary from about an inch in length to It’s known only by the size of a house cat. And many may have its scientific name: horny “helmets,” knobby snouts, or spiny crests. Brookesia micra (brook- But there are a number of things that make all EE-zee-uh MYE-kruh). chameleons the same. Read on! 6 7 Ą chameleon Chameleons blend in well, whether they hang out mostly can look forward in trees, on bare ground, or among dead leaves. GRIPPY TOES ĄND TĄIL and backward at Most chameleons live in trees, where the same time! they hang on to narrow branches. Each pincher-like foot is perfect for grip- ping, with two clawed toes on one side and three on the other. A chameleon’s tail works as a fifth foot. It can wrap around a branch to hang on, too. A tail that can grab and grip this way is called a prehensile (pree-HEN-sul) tail. giant Madagascar chameleon young panther chameleon O’Shaughnessy’s chameleon Parson’s chameleon canopy chameleon elongate leaf chameleon TRICKY EYES A chameleon has big eyes, mostly TĄLENTED twice as long as the cha- So, what does a chameleon covered by scaly lids.
    [Show full text]
  • No Longer Single! Description of Female Calumma Vatosoa (Squamata, Chamaeleonidae) Including a Review of the Species and Its Systematic Position
    Zoosyst. Evol. 92 (1) 2016, 13–21 | DOI 10.3897/zse.92.6464 museum für naturkunde No longer single! Description of female Calumma vatosoa (Squamata, Chamaeleonidae) including a review of the species and its systematic position David Prötzel1, Bernhard Ruthensteiner1, Frank Glaw1 1 Zoologische Staatssammlung München (ZSM-SNSB), Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 München, Germany http://zoobank.org/CFD64DFB-D085-4D1A-9AA9-1916DB6B4043 Corresponding author: David Prötzel ([email protected]) Abstract Received 3 September 2015 Calumma vatosoa is a Malagasy chameleon species that has until now been known only Accepted 26 November 2015 from the male holotype and a photograph of an additional male specimen. In this paper Published 8 January 2016 we describe females of the chameleon Calumma vatosoa for the first time, as well as the skull osteology of this species. The analysed females were collected many years before Academic editor: the description of C. vatosoa, and were originally described as female C. linotum. Ac- Johannes Penner cording to external morphology, osteology, and distribution these specimens are assigned to C. vatosoa. Furthermore we discuss the species group assignment of C. vatosoa and transfer it from the C. furcifer group to the C. nasutum group. A comparison of the exter- Key Words nal morphology of species of both groups revealed that C. vatosoa has a relatively shorter distance from the anterior margin of the orbit to the snout tip, more heterogeneous scala- Madagascar tion at the lower arm, a significantly lower number of supralabial and infralabial scales, chameleon and a relatively longer tail than the members of the C. furcifer group.
    [Show full text]
  • Habitat Preferences and Activity Patterns of Furcifer Pardalis
    Habitat preferences and activity patterns of Furcifer pardalis SALAMANDRA 44 3 129-140 Rheinbach, 20 August 2008 ISSN 0036-3375 Habitat preferences and activity patterns of Furcifer pardalis (Cuvier, 1829) in the Masoala Rain Forest Hall of the Zurich Zoo Philip-Sebastian Gehring, Nicolà Lutzmann, Samuel Furrer & Roland Sossinka Abstract. The habitat preferences and activity patterns of panther chameleons,Furcifer pardalis (Cuvier, 829) living in the Masoala Rain Forest Hall of the Zurich Zoo were investigated by means of radiotele- metry. Twelve animals were monitored over periods of up to 32 days. The animals exhibited a significant preference for the upper third, or crown stratum, of the plants. The chameleons were furthermore most- ly encountered in the peripheral areas of their trees. Migratory patterns of male specimens in particular followed a largely linear course from the starting point. Distinctions could be made between specimens with a high degree of home range fidelity and more explorative individuals, which differed clearly with regard to the distances they moved away from their respective starting points. Key words. Reptilia, Chamaeleonidae, Furcifer pardalis, habitat preferences, activity patterns, telemetry, zoo. Introduction concepts for the captive keeping of animals therefore have to be tested. The panther chameleon Furcifer( pardalis) is a widely distributed and highly adaptable species of chameleon that is predominantly Material and methods found in anthropogenically altered and sec- The Masoala Rain Forest Hall ondary habitats (Ferguson et al. 2004, An- of the Zurich Zoo dreone et al. 2005, Lutzmann 2006). This gave rise to a number of studies on the ecol- The Masoala Rain Forest Hall of the Zurich ogy of F.
    [Show full text]
  • National Parks in Madagascar
    NATIONAL PARKS IN MADAGASCAR Madagascar’s National Parks are divided into 4 parts: Deciduous Forest, Eastern Rain Forests, Island and Coastal and Spiny Forests and in total have about 28 National Parks across the island worth visiting DECIDUOUS FOREST 1. Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park Normally included as a short stop between Isalo and Tulear, the forest of Zombitse- Vohibasia is in a transition zone between dry deciduous and spiny forest habitats. Birders will appreciate seeing Appert’s greenbul, found nowhere else, giant, Coquerel’s and olive-capped couas, as well as various vanga species. 2. Andringitra National Park A spectacular and biodiverse reserve with an altitude range of 500 to 2,658 metres and mountainous outcrops of ancient Precambrian granite, waterfalls, lakes and unusual vegetation. Pic Boby, Madagascar’s second highest mountain, is a tough climb, but there are other less challenging trails through some magnificent scenery and habitats, including lowland forest, high humid tropical forest, sclerophyll and bamboo forest, bush and heathland. It has much endemic flora and over 100 species of birds, as well as over 50 mammal species including mountain-adapted ring tailed lemurs with thick coats. The climate ranges from humid tropical in the lowland rainforests to below freezing at altitude – indeed, it is the only place in Madagascar where snow has been recorded. 3. Ankarafantsika National Park ( Ampijoroa) This prime example of tropical dry deciduous forest, combined with a lake harbouring Nile crocodiles and endangered Madagascar fish eagles, contains many other rare, endemic birds including Van Dam’s vanga, sickle-billed vanga and red-capped coua.
    [Show full text]
  • Furcifer Pardalis (Panther Chameleon) – a Brief Species Descrip- Tion and Details on Captive Husbandry
    BEMS Reports. 2016; 2(2): 27-38. A Multifaceted Peer Reviewed Journal in the field of Biology, Medicine, Engineering and Science Brief Review www.bemsreports.org | www.phcog.net Furcifer pardalis (Panther Chameleon) – A Brief Species Descrip- tion and Details on Captive Husbandry Ross McGeough ABSTRACT Chameleons of all species, have proven extremely delicate animals to work with in captivity. Many health concerns arise when they are maintained in improper conditions, from infections to inadequate nutrition, all of which will lead to the deterioration of the animals wellbeing and ultimately, a shortened lifespan. Therefore, understanding the most important problems which commonly occur in captive chameleons and the factors responsible for said problems, is paramount to the successful breeding and maintenance of chameleons in captivity. Furcifer pardalis or Panther Chameleons are one of the most common chameleons found in the pet trade, due in part to their impressive size, stunning variation in colouration, specialised morphological traits, unique personalities and most importantly, their relative hardiness when maintained in captivity. All of the aforementioned traits make Panther chameleons an exciting species to work with and an enjoyable challenge to successfully maintain, for the interested herpetologist. The aim of this paper, is to comprehensively review the history, anatomy and health issues associated with Panther chameleons and the current husbandry techniques used in maintain- ing said animals in captivity. The methods described in this paper are up to date guidelines for the successful husbandry of captive Panther chameleons and are as a result of many years of experience in keeping and breeding both Panther chameleons and various other chameleon species, whilst also drawing from expert literature in the field of captive chameleon husband- ry.
    [Show full text]
  • Veiled Chameleon
    Husbandry Guidelines for Veiled Chameleon Chamaeleo calyptratus (Reptilia: Chamaeleonidae) DUMÉRIL & DUMÉRIL 1851 Date By From Version 2015 Stuart Daniel WSI Richmond v 1 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY RISKS This species, veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus), is classed as an innocuous animal and poses minimal to no risk to keepers. The veiled chameleon is a small, generally non-aggressive species which possesses no anatomical features that could cause any harm. Though it is common for individuals of this species to be reluctant toward handling, any action performed to avoid being handled is generally for display only and will not result in any physical aggression. Individuals that feel threatened will put on a threat display which involves an open mouth and extension of the throat pouch (see figure). On the odd occasion an individual may bite but it is very rare that this will break the skin or cause any discomfort at all. Working with any animal species poses a risk of zoonotic disease. Common zoonotic diseases are listed in the table below, as well as other potential hazards that may be present in the work environment. Potential hazards of working with veiled chameleons and in the work environment in general Physical Injury from manual handling Falls from ladders if enclosures are above head height Slips/trips over cluttered workspace or wet floor Chemical Injury or poisoning from misuse of chemicals -F10 veterinary disinfectant -Bleach -Medications Biological Zoonosis – Salmonella spp, Campylobacter spp, Klebsiella spp, Enterobacter
    [Show full text]