PANTHER CHAMELEON
PANTHER CHAMELEON The Panther Chameleon ( Furcifer pardalis ) is a species of Chameleon found in the eastern and northern parts of Madagascar in a tropical forest biome. Additionally, it has been introduced to the other parts of the world. The Panther Chameleon was first described by French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1829. Its generic name ( Furcifer ) is derived from the Latin root furci meaning "forked" and refers to the shape of the animal's feet. The specific name pardalis refers to the animals' markings, as it is Latin for "leopard" or "spotted like a panther". The English word chameleon derives from Latin chamaeleō , a borrowing of the Ancient Greek ( khamailéōn ), a compound of ( khamaí ) "on the ground" and ( léōn ) "lion". The Greek word is a calque translating to "ground lion". This lends to the common English name of "Panther Chameleon". Male Panther Chameleons can grow up to17 centimetr...