Furcifer bifidus

Furcifer bifidus is a species of chameleon that is endemic to Madagascar. It was described by Alexandre Brongniart in 1800. The International Union for Conservation of Nature have ranked this species of chameleon as Least Concern.

Furcifer bifidus
Taxidermied Furcifer bifidus (synonym: Chameleo bifidus).
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Chamaeleonidae
Genus:	Furcifer
Species:	F. bifidus
Binomial name
Furcifer bifidus Brongniart, 1800
Synonyms[2]
Dicranosaura bifurca var. crassicornis (Gray, 1865) Chamaeleo bifurcus (Kuhl, 1820) Chamaeleo bifurcatus (Swainson, 1839) Chamaeleo bifidus (Duméril & Bibron, 1836) Dicranosaura bifurca var. crassirostris (Brygoo, 1971) Furcifer bifidus (Glaw & Vences, 1994) Furcifer bifidus (Necas, 1999)

Distribution and habitat

Furcifer bifidus is found in east Madagascar, and there is no known type locality.^[2] According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it can be found over an area of 35,368 square kilometres (13,656 square miles), and is therefore ranked as a Least Concern species of animal, although it is exposed to many threats.^[1] It can be found on the east of Madagascar north after the Mangoro River, and as far as Daraina and Marojejy National Park (Marojejy Massif). It has been found at a highest of 700 metres (2,300 feet) above sea level.^[1] The two major threats to the Furcifer bifidus are logging for commercial reasons and the slash-and-burn method in agriculture. The species has been listed as protected.^[1]

Taxonomy

Furcifer bifidus was initially described by French chemist, mineralogist, and zoologist Alexandre Brongniart in 1800.^[3][4]