Calumma oshaughnessyi
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (from a photograph by Frank Glaw, Jörn Köhler, Ted M. Townsend & Miguel Vences) · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
O'Shaughnessy's chameleon (Calumma oshaughnessyi) is a species of chameleon, a lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar. It was named after the British poet and herpetologist Arthur O'Shaughnessy.
O'Shaughnessy's chameleon has a geographic range of about 18,000 square kilometers (6,950 square miles) throughout the southeastern portion of the central highlands of Madagascar. Its distribution extends from Tsinjoarivo, Ambatolampy in the north to Andohahela National Park in the south. The species is highly dependent on intact, humid forest at elevations of 1,240–1,300 m (4,070–4,270 ft) as its natural habitat, living in lower densities on selectively logged territories.
O'Shaughnessy's chameleon, being closely related to Parson's chameleon, is similar in shape and color but slightly smaller. Albert Günther, the first to scientifically describe the species, stated that the type specimen is a male measuring 15.5 inches (39.4 cm) in total length, including its tail which is 9 inches (22.9 cm) long. It is mostly brownish gray, with a darker throat and jaw. Although lacking horns, the male of the species has a... 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 an O'Shaughnessy's Chameleon sighting in Ranomafana National Park on a given day, based on 220 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th 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.
February and May
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report an O'Shaughnessy's Chameleon in Ranomafana National Park on a given day, against about 40% in July, the lowest month.
Between 4 and 7 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most O'Shaughnessy's 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 O'Shaughnessy's Chameleon sightings: about 80% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same genus: Calumma
The closest relatives of the O'Shaughnessy's Chameleon that you can see in Ranomafana National Park (genus Calumma) are Cryptic 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 O'Shaughnessy's Chameleon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Ranomafana National Park (220 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.
