This is a big strapping chameleon with a small known range, so it was high on our target list for the Ranomafana area. On a drippy night, Emile Rajeriarison found a male high in a tree in a village park. His adult son somehow managed to climb the tree high enough that he could encourage the chameleon to climb onto a six-foot stick, and then brought it down for us all to admire and photograph, before returning it to high in its favorite tree.

When we returned to our lodge that evening, one of the lodge employees showed us the female (with mouth open), that he had seen earlier in the day in a bush. So we saw one big impressive individual of both genders of this magnificent chameleon.

Here is a list of all the reptiles and frogs I saw on this 2023 trip to Madagascar.