Oustalet's Chameleon

F. oustaleti is endemic to Madagascar and is found throughout the island. It inhabits a very wide range of habitat types including dry deciduous forest, humid evergreen forest, montane savanna, degraded forests, agricultural areas and even urban settings. It is seldom found deep in the forest interior, but more on the edges.

F. oustaleti is the only chameleon of Madagascar to occur in both the most arid regions and the wettest regions (F. lateralis formerly was considered equally widespread but has been split into several species), and a degree of geographic variation in colour and size has been observed, leading some to question whether F. oustaleti really is a single species or a species complex.

The generic name, Furcifer, is derived from the Latin root meaning "forked" and refers to the shape of the animal's feet. The specific name, , is a Latinized form of the last name of French biologist Jean-Frédéric Émile Oustalet, in whose honor the species is named.