NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Brookesia desperata Glaw, Köhler, Townsend & Vences, 2012
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Brookesia desperata is a species of chameleons. It is endemic to Foret d'Ambre Special Reserve in north Madagascar, and is a critically endangered species due to the decline of its habitat. This decline is attributed to clearance of forest for crops, charcoal production, timber extraction, small-scale quarrying and cattle grazing. It was named desperata to provoke thought regarding the desperately threatened habitat of Madagascar's micro-endemic species. They can be found roosting above ground on small branches or leaves 5–100 cm above ground at night. B. desperata was described in 2012 by a research team led by Dr. Frank Glaw from the Zoologische Staatssammlung München.
Wikipedia contributors, Brookesia desperata; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T14:21:05.162762+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Brookesia desperata Glaw, Köhler, Townsend & Vences, 2012
- Name authority
- Glaw, Köhler, Townsend & Vences, 2012
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Chamaeleonidae
- Genus
- Brookesia
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderIguania
- familyChamaeleonidae
- genusBrookesia
- speciesBrookesia desperata Glaw, Köhler, Townsend & Vences, 2012
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Brookesia. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Brookesia betschi Brygoo, Blanc & Domergue, 1974 | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Fito Leaf ChameleonBrookesia lambertoni Brygoo & Domergue, 1970 | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Brookesia ramanantsoai Brygoo & Domergue, 1975 | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Brookesia tedi Scherz, Köhler, Rakotoarison, Glaw & Vences, 2019 | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Brookesia nana Glaw, Köhler, Hawlitschek, Ratsoavina, Rakotoarison, Scherz & Vences, 2021 | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Brookesia nofy Rakotoarison, Hasiniaina, Glaw & Vences, 2024 | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Brookesia antakarana Raxworthy & Nussbaum, 1995 | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Brookesia bonsi Ramanantsoa, 1980 | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Spiny Leaf ChameleonBrookesia decaryi Angel, 1939 | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Toothed Leaf ChameleonBrookesia dentata Mocquard, 1900 | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Northem Leaf ChameleonBrookesia ebenaui (Boettger, 1880) | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Brookesia karchei Brygoo, Blanc & Domergue, 1970 | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Brookesia&species=desperata Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:NDR7. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.