Class Reptilia Superorder Lepidosauria Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Infraclass Lepidosauromorpha | |
Similar Brookesia bonsi, Brookesia ambreensis, Brookesia ebenaui, Palleon nasus, Mount d'Ambre leaf cham | ||
Brookesia valerieae is a species of chameleon that is endemic to Madagascar. It was first described by Raxworthy in 1991. The IUCN have classed this species as endangered, and it is affected by slash-and-burn agriculture. It is not a protected species.
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Distribution and habitat
Brookesia valerieae is endemic to the Manongarivo Special Reserve (Manongarivo Reserve) in the region of Diana, Madagascar, which is also the species' type locality.
It can only been found at Manongarivo and the Ramena River, which are 7 km (4.3 mi) away from each other. If the species covers the whole area between the reserve and the river, it will be 2,589 km2 (1,000 sq mi) in area, but this has not been confirmed. The International Union for Conservation of Nature have classed the species as endangered species on their Red List of Threatened Species, as the scale of habitat loss is high in that area, it is not high up, and is mainly affected frequently by the slash-and-burn method of agriculture. B. valerieae has been used as part of the pet trade/industry. The species occurs in some reserves, but it is currently not a protected species.
Taxonomy
Brookesia valerieae was initially described by Raxworthy in 1991. Since 1991, it has been described under that name three times: Glaw and Vences (1994: 239), Necas (1999: 277), and, most recently, Townsend et al. in 2009. According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System, the taxonomic status of the species is valid.