Trioceros johnstoni
| Trioceros johnstoni | |
|---|---|
| |
| Male | |
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| |
| Female | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Chamaeleonidae |
| Genus: | Trioceros |
| Species: | T. johnstoni
|
| Binomial name | |
| Trioceros johnstoni (Boulenger, 1901)
| |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Trioceros johnstoni, known commonly as Johnston's chameleon, Johnston's three-horned chameleon, and the Ruwenzori three-horned chameleon, is a species of chameleon, a lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae.[3] The species is endemic to highlands in the Albertine Rift in central Africa.[1] It reaches up to 30 cm (12 in) in total length (including tail). Only the adult male has three horns. The female is hornless.[4]
Taxonomy and etymology
[edit]The three long annulated horns in the male T. johnstoni makes it superficially similar to T. jacksonii and T. werneri, and to an extent also to the short-horned T. fuelleborni and the smooth-horned T. oweni,[4] but they are not close relatives.[5] Its nearest relative is the hornless T. ituriensis.[5]
The specific name johnstoni was given in honour of the British explorer Harry Johnston.[6][7]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]T. johnstoni is found in forests at altitudes between 1,000 and 2,500 m (3,300–8,200 ft) in the Albertine Rift of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, western Burundi, western Rwanda, and southwestern Uganda, but also tolerates semi-urbanized environments as long as some trees and bushes remain.[1]
Behaviour
[edit]Males of T. johnstoni are fiercely territorial and readily will fight other males, using their horns and biting.[4]
Reproduction
[edit]T. johnstoni is oviparous, with the female laying 4–23 eggs per clutch.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Tolley, K.; Plumptre, A. (2014). "Trioceros johnstoni ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T172573A1345950. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T172573A1345950.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Species Trioceros johnstoni at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ Tilbury, C.R. (2010). Chameleons of Africa: An Atlas, Including the Chameleons of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Edition Chimaira. ISBN 978-3899731156.
- ^ a b c Spawls, S.; Howell, K.; Drewes, R.; Ashe, J. (2002). A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Academic Press. pp. 228–229. ISBN 0-12-656470-1.
- ^ a b c Hughes, Daniel F.; Blackburn, Daniel G. (2020). "Evolutionary origins of viviparity in Chamaeleonidae". Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. 58 (1): 284–302. doi:10.1111/jzs.12328.
- ^ Boulenger, G.A. (1901). "Description of two new Chameleons from Mount Ruwenzori, British East Africa". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 2: 135–136, Plates XII–XIII. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1901.tb08168.x. (Chamæleon johnstoni, new species, p. 136 + Plate XIII).
- ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Trioceros johnstoni, p. 135).
Further reading
[edit]- Spawls S, Howell K, Hinkel H, Menegon M (2018). Field Guide to East African Reptiles, Second Edition. London: Bloomsbury Wildlife. 624 pp. ISBN 978-1-399-40481-5. (Trioceros johnstoni, pp. 293–294).
- Tilbury CR, Tolley KA (2009). "A re-appraisal of the systematics of the African genus Chamaeleo (Reptilia: Chamaeleonidae)". Zootaxa 2079: 57–68. (Trioceros johnstoni, new combination).
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