A new species of chameleon (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae) from the Aberdare Mountains in the central highlands of Kenya

Abstract

We describe a new species of chameleon, Trioceros kinangopensis sp. nov., from Kinangop Peak in the Aberdare moun-tains, central highlands of Kenya. The proposed new species is morphologically and genetically distinct from other mem-ber of the bitaeniatus-group. It is morphologically most similar to T. schubotzi but differs in the lack of sexual sizedimorphism, smaller-sized females, smoother, less angular canthus rostrales, smaller scales on the temporal region and abright orange gular crest in males. Mitochondrial DNA indicates that the proposed new taxon is a distinct lineage that isclosely related to T. nyirit and T. schubotzi. The distribution of T. kinangopensis sp. nov. appears to be restricted to the afroalpine zone in vicintiy of Kinangop Peak and fires may pose a serious threat to the long-term survival of this species.

Evolutionary relationships, species delimitation and biogeography of Eastern Afromontane horned chameleons (Chamaeleonidae: Trioceros)

“…Recognition of this diversity is due, in part, to the application of molecular systematic methods that provided evidence to elevate Trioceros from a subgenus of Chamaeleo Linnaeus, 1758 (Tilbury and Tolley, 2009b). Molecular data have also provided evidence for the discovery of new species of Trioceros (Krause and Böhme, 2010;Stipala et al, 2011Stipala et al, , 2012Tolley and Herrel, 2013a). Notwithstanding some progress in alpha diversity, Trioceros remains one of the least understood chameleon genera, with a paucity of basic natural history information.…”

The Biology of chameleons

“…Trioceros cristatus (Stutchbury, 1837) West-central Africa Trioceros deremensis (Matschie, 1892) East Africa Trioceros ellioti (Günther, 1895) East Africa Trioceros feae (Boulenger, 1906) West-central Africa Trioceros fuelleborni (Tornier, 1900) East Africa Trioceros goetzei (Tornier, 1899) East Africa Trioceros hanangensis Krause & Böhme, 2010 East Africa Trioceros harennae (Largen, 1995) North Africa Trioceros hoehnelii (Steindachner, 1891) East Africa Trioceros incornutus (Loveridge, 1932) East Africa Trioceros ituriensis (Schmidt, 1919) East Africa, Central Africa Trioceros jacksonii (Boulenger, 1896) East Africa Trioceros johnstoni (Boulenger, 1901) East Africa, Central Africa Trioceros kinangopensis Stipala, Lutzmann, Malonza, Wilkinson, Godley, Nyamache, and Evans, 2012 East Africa…”

A new chameleon of the Trioceros affinis species complex (Squamata, Chamaeleonidae) from Ethiopia

“…Kulal), T. ntunte (Mt. Nyiru) and T. nyirit (Mtelo Massif) from Kenya (Nečas et al 2003(Nečas et al , 2005Stipala et al 2011Stipala et al , 2012.…”