Brookesia valerieae

Brookesia valerieae
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Infraclass:	Lepidosauromorpha
Superorder:	Lepidosauria
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Lacertilia
Infraorder:	Iguania
Family:	Chamaeleonidae
Genus:	Brookesia
Species:	B. valerieae
Binomial name
Brookesia valerieae Raxworthy, 1991

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.

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' geological type locality.^[1]

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.^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[3]

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.^[1] According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System, the taxonomic status of the species is valid.^[4]

References