Calumma roaloko: The Smallest ‘True Chameleon’ from Madagascar

25/09/2024

Micro-CT scans of skulls of Calumma roaloko sp. n. Male holotype KU 343178 in dorsal view (a) and lateral view (b), note the worm-like structure (presumably an endoparasite) in the throat of the holotype; female KU 343168 in dorsal view (c) and lateral view (d).

Map showing the location of the known range of Calumma roaloko sp. n. in central-eastern Madagascar. Red stars indicate localities where C. roaloko sp. n. was found, gray "X" indicate localities surveyed but with no detection of the species. The map is a composite of Landsat 7 and SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission; Farr and Kobrick 2000) digital elevation data (U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center) created in QGIS v2.18.

Posed photos of a subadult male specimen of Calumma roaloko sp. n. (ZSM 244/2018, KU 343177); (a) Indigo coloration on the rostral appendage and head scalation is apparent; (b) portrait of the same specimen.

Preserved holotype (KU 343178) of Calumma roaloko sp. n. Scale bar = 10 mm.

In-life photos of four specimens of Calumma roaloko sp. n.; (a) subadult male (ZSM 244/2018, KU 343177); (b) the holotype, adult male (KU 343178); (c) subadult male (UADBA-R, KU 343167); (d) adult female (KU 343168).

In-situ photograph of an uncollected (in sleeping position) female of Calumma roaloko sp. n., from the same locality as KU 343168.

Author: Petr Nečas
My projects:   ARCHAIUS   │   CHAMELEONS.INFO