Calumma parsonii
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (from a photograph by Frank Glaw, Jörn Köhler, Ted M. Townsend & Miguel Vences) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
Parson's chameleon (Calumma parsonii) is a species of chameleon in the family Chamaeleonidae that is endemic to eastern and northern Madagascar. It is found from lowlands to an altitude of 1,195 m (3,920 ft) above sea level and mainly inhabits humid primary forest, but can also occur in disturbed habitats with trees. For a chameleon, it is very large, long-lived and slow-reproducing.
The specific name, parsonii, was coined in 1824 by Georges Cuvier in honor of British physician James Parsons. The Parson's chameleon is usually considered the world's largest chameleon by weight and one of the largest by length (where it is surpassed by the Malagasy giant chameleon). Adult males typically weigh 500–700 g (18–25 oz), have a casque on the top of their head and ridges running from above the eyes to the nose, forming two warty "horns". There are two recognized subspecies: The widespread nominate subspecies, Calumma p. parsonii, of both lowlands and mid-elevation altitudes, has no dorsal crest (no spines along the back's ridge) and reaches up to 65 cm (26 in) in total length including tail; there are reports of individuals exceeding 80 cm (31 in), but they... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mantadia National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Réserve africaine de Sigean | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Botanical and Zoological Garden of Tsimbazaza | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 4 | Leningrad Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 5 | LemuriaLand | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 6 | Ivoloina | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 7 | Lemurs Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 8 | Lemur Island | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 9 | Johor Zoo | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 10 | Mandraka Reptile Farm | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 11 | Sea Life Blankenberge | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 12 | Croc Farm Ivato | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 13 | Blue Planet Aquarium | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 14 | Peyrieras Reptile Reserve | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Parson's Chameleon sighting in Ranomafana National Park on a given day, based on 84 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 29 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February, July and December
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Parson's Chameleon in Ranomafana National Park on a given day, against about 10% in March, the lowest month.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Parson's Chameleon sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Parson's Chameleon sightings, Ranomafana National Park ranks 2nd at about 50%. The best odds are in Mantadia National Park (Madagascar, about 90%).
Same genus: Calumma
The closest relatives of the Parson's Chameleon that you can see in Ranomafana National Park (genus Calumma) are Cryptic Chameleon (about 80%), O'Shaughnessy's Chameleon (about 80%) and Deceptive Chameleon (about 60%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Parson's Chameleon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Ranomafana National Park (84 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.
