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Reptilia    Squamata (part-other lizards)    Chamaeleonidae  
Panther Chameleon
Furcifer pardalis (Cuvier, 1829)
FUR-sih-fur — PAR-dah-lis
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SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
 Native to Madagascar. It was introduced via the pet trade in Broward, DeSoto, and Miami-Dade counties, Florida and was established in 2008 in Coconut Creek, Broward County (Rochford et al., 2013, Reptiles & Amphibians 20: 205–207; Rochford and Krysko, 2019, Furcifer pardalis. Pages 361–362 in Krysko et al. (Editors) Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida). (Krysko, Kenneth and Travis W. Taggart. 2025. Established Exotic Species. Pages 64-87 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.)

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Open icons indicate questionable records, including those with coordinate uncertainty greater than 10,000 m (approximately 6 miles). Click a marker to view metadata.
Occurrences:; 26 Total; 15 Museum; 11 Other

The locality database contains 8,094,832 records, and geographic and taxonomic errors exist. Logged-in, registered users may report a potential issue directly from the marker popup.
Shaded range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH. (Version: 2025.03.31.07.48.37)
Download map data (GeoJSON):
Polygon Range File Museum Literature Fossil Personal Observation Citizen Science

Province/State Distribution:

Taxonomic Etymology:
A colorful, spotted chameleon likened to a panther in pattern.
Furcifer — From Latin furca, “fork,” and -fer, “bearing” — thus, “fork-bearer.” Refers to the chameleon's zygodactylous (split or “forked”) feet.
pardalis — From Latin pardalis, “leopard” or “panther,” itself derived from Greek pardos (πάρδος). Refers to the spotted, variegated skin patterns resembling those of big cats.

First instance(s) of published English names:
No historic English names have been assigned to this taxon yet.


Selected References:
2023 Goodman, Colin M., Natalie M. Claunch, Zachary T. Steele, Diane J. Episcopio-Sturgeon, and Christina M. Romagosa. Colorful lizards and the conflict of collection. bioRxiv preprint:34

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