About Furcifer verrucosus Cuvier, 1829
The warty chameleon, Furcifer verrucosus Cuvier, 1829, is a large chameleon species. Males grow to a total length of 56 centimetres (22 in), while females reach 21 centimetres (8 in). It has a casque on its head, which is a helmet-like crest made of scales. A small crest runs along a raised ridge from its eyes to its snout, and additional low crests run along the flanks, down the throat, and along the belly. Males have a distinctive crest of up to forty 4 millimetre (0.16 in) spines along the back; in females this crest is shortened, and continues along the spine as tubercles instead. Both sexes have a row of large scales that form a lateral line. The warty chameleon has a long, prehensile tail. Its general base colour is grey or brown, with varied blotching or indistinct banding, and an intermittent white streak along each side. Females are typically paler overall, while males often have a green tinge on the belly, tail, and limbs. This chameleon is found only on the island of Madagascar, including Manderano in the Tulear region. It occurs across most of western Madagascar and in the drier areas of southern Madagascar. It is seldom found in primary rainforest, and prefers arid disturbed land, including areas near the sea. It is a terrestrial species, and also climbs in low bushes. In hot weather, it sometimes retreats into sandy burrows to stay cool. Both the subspecies Furcifer verrucosus verrucosus and Furcifer verrucosus oustaleti are listed CITES species, and are protected from international wildlife trafficking worldwide.
