Reptiles
346 species of reptiles live on Madagascar, including most of the worlds chameleons, ranging from the largest to the smallest.Chameleon
The word chameleon means "earth lion" - derived from the Greek words chamai (on the ground, on the earth) and leon (lion). Chameleons are famous for their ability to change colour, which is not only an adaption to the surrounding, but mostly to show emotions, defend territories or communicate with other chameleons. The skin colour changes under influence of mood, light and temperature. Characteristic are also the bulgy eyes, which can be moved independently of each other. Chameleons are not active hunters, they mainly wait for a prey to pass within range of their long tongues. Parson's Chameleon (Calumma parsonii) with a length of
Gecko
You will hear the squeaks of the colourful Phelsuma gecko at Bushhouse. These beautiful, day active geckos are bright green with red patches and yellow or white stripes. All species of the Phelsuma occur worldwide only on islands. Madagascar has due to its size and the many ecological niches the richest Phelsuma fauna.
Boa Constrictor
If lucky, you will see the brown and black Acrantophis, a harmless (and lazy!) type of boa. This particular constrictor can measure up to
Crocodile
Reaching a lenght of up to 5 metres, the Nile Crocodile is the largest African crocodile and the top predator in its range. Mature adults weight about