Calumma crypticum
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (from a photograph by Frank Glaw, Jörn Köhler, Ted M. Townsend & Miguel Vences) · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
Calumma crypticum, commonly known as the cryptic chameleon or blue-legged chameleon, is a species of chameleon found in eastern Madagascar. This species was first described in 2006 as Calumma crypticum by Raxworthy & Nussbaum, one of six new species from mountain regions of Madagascar. It is very similar to, and was previously included in, the short-horned chameleon (Calumma brevicorne), but in 2007, Boumans et al. confirmed that it was sufficiently genetically distinct to be considered a valid species.
Calumma crypticum grows to a length of about 12 cm (5 in) and has large flap-like lobes at the back of the head. The species is sexually dimorphic, the male having a longer snout with a horn-like protrusion on its upper surface, which the female lacks. As with other chameleon species, the colour is variable, depending on the colour of the surroundings, the ambient temperature, and variations in the level of light, but this species is usually quite colourful with rich browns, blues and greens, and the legs are often marked with blue.
Calumma crypticum is endemic to eastern Madagascar where it is a mid-altitude species occurring... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mandraka Reptile Farm | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Cryptic Chameleon sighting in Ranomafana National Park on a given day, based on 207 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 29 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April, June, August and October
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Cryptic Chameleon in Ranomafana National Park on a given day, against about 50% in July, the lowest month.
Between 4 and 7 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cryptic Chameleon sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Only Ranomafana National Park, in our data
Ranomafana National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Cryptic Chameleon sightings: about 80% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same genus: Calumma
The closest relatives of the Cryptic Chameleon that you can see in Ranomafana National Park (genus Calumma) are O'Shaughnessy's Chameleon (about 80%), Deceptive Chameleon (about 60%) and Ranomafana Nosed Chameleon (about 60%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cryptic Chameleon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Ranomafana National Park (207 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
