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The Nasutum Enigma: Cracking the Code of Madagascar’s Hidden Species

02/11/2025
In the dense rainforests of Madagascar, where biodiversity whispers through the canopy, a long-standing mystery has lingered in the herpetological archives: the true identity of Calumma nasutum. Originally described over a century ago, this diminutive chameleon has eluded precise classification due to its cryptic morphology and the taxonomic ambiguity surrounding its relatives. The recent publication in Salamandra (Vol. 61, Issue 4, 2025) by Glaw et al. reopens this cold case with forensic precision, leveraging museomics, molecular phylogenetics, and morphological scrutiny to redefine C. nasutum and unveil two new species within the C. gallus complex.


Main taxonomic changes:

Before:                         From:                                                           Now:

Calumma cf. nasutum    Andasibe, Anosibe An'Ala, Tarzanville        described as a new species Calumma hofreiteri

Calumma nasutum         Ranomafana, Mananjary                                 restricted to this area only

Calumma cf. gallus         Vohimana and adjacent regions                     described as a new species Calumma pinocchio

Calumma gallus              Tarzanville, Tsinjoarivo, near Toamasina    found in several isolated forest patches 


Notes:

*1 ... Female of C. hofreiteri are morphologically indistinguishable from those of Calumma emelinae.

*2 ... Males of C. nasutum have a larger, often yellow rostral appendage, femaleshave only a small, red rostral flap. 

*3 ... C. gallus possesses a serrated upper margin, while C. pinocchio displays a smooth rostral structure.




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