Calumma parsonii
—
Parson’s Chameleon
Subspecies I've seen:
![](../images/herps/thumbnails/07042415CD_chameleon.jpg)
C. p. cristifer
Parson’s Chameleon
![](../images/herps/thumbnails/230427023L.jpeg)
C. p. parsonii
Parson’s Chameleon
Calumma parsonii cristifer
—
Parson’s Chameleon
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii cristifer)](../images/herps/standard/07042414PD_Andasibe.jpg)
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii cristifer)](../images/herps/standard/07042416PD_Andasibe.jpg)
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii cristifer)](../images/herps/standard/07042438PD_Andasibe.jpg)
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii cristifer)](../images/herps/standard/07042415CD_chameleon.jpg)
Calumma parsonii is generally considered either the largest or second-largest species of chameleon. Furcifer oustaleti can get a little longer, but Calumma parsonii gets a little heavier.
We saw two individuals. The first, orangeish one is an adult female that our guide found in the middle of the forest. It was heading straight up a vine when we momentarily detained it for a few photos. The second, turquoise one is an adult male that was just off a trail. It's busy munching a grasshopper. The fourth photograph here was taken by my wife Monica Rua.
Here is a list of all the reptiles and frogs I saw on this 2007 trip to Madagascar.
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii cristifer)](../images/herps/standard/230424048L.jpeg)
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii cristifer)](../images/herps/standard/230424128L.jpeg)
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii cristifer)](../images/herps/standard/230424107L.jpeg)
On this night we found a few individuals of the world's largest chameleon for the first time on this trip. But so far, only young, small ones. I wonder whether we found bigger ones later?
Here is a list of all the reptiles and frogs I saw on this 2023 trip to Madagascar.
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii cristifer)](../images/herps/standard/230426132L.jpeg)
Bigger than any of the ones from yesterday, but still not all that big.
Calumma parsonii parsonii
—
Parson’s Chameleon
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii parsonii)](../images/herps/standard/23042704I.jpeg)
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii parsonii)](../images/herps/standard/230427023L.jpeg)
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii parsonii)](../images/herps/standard/230427032L.jpeg)
Our Madagascar guide Rainer Dolch took us to a small farm where he knew there was a healthy population of this species as well as Furcifer pardalis. When we arrived, a troop of villagers greeted us, then disappeared into the hedges and trees for a few minutes, then began bringing out chameleons, including a few monster full-sized Calumma parsonii parsonii.
Here is a list of all the reptiles and frogs I saw on this 2023 trip to Madagascar.
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii parsonii)](../images/herps/standard/230430003L.jpeg)
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii parsonii)](../images/herps/standard/23043003I.jpeg)
Here's a humongous male and female found near each other, close to the edge of the Pantagenes canal.
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii parsonii)](../images/herps/standard/230507015L.jpeg)
![Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii parsonii)](../images/herps/standard/23050705I.jpeg)
Emile Rajeriarison walked us to a small vanilla plantation that belongs to him and his wife. He knew there were a pair of Calumma parsonii somewhere around. He found the male quickly, but it took another ten or fifteen minutes for his wife to find the female.
Printed references:
- Abate, A., and Abate, E. 2004. The Chameleons of Madagascar (DVD)
- Bradt, H., Schuurman, D., Garbutt, N. 1996. Madagascar Wildlife: A Visitor's Guide
- Glaw, F., Vences, M. 1994. A Fieldguide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar, Second Edition
- Glaw, F., Vences, M. 2007. A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar, Third Edition
- Henkel, F., Schmidt, W. 2000. Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar and the Mascarene, Seychelles, and Comoro Islands
- Martin, J., Wolfe, A. 1992. Masters of Disguise: A Natural History of Chameleons
- Necas, P. 1999. Chameleons: Nature's Hidden Jewels
- Preston-Mafham, K. 1991. Madagascar: A Natural History