Trioceros_johnstoni

<i>Trioceros johnstoni</i>

Trioceros johnstoni

Species of lizard

Trioceros johnstoni, known commonly as Johnston's chameleon, Johnston's three-horned chameleon, or the Ruwenzori three-horned chameleon, is a species of chameleon, a lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae.[3] It is endemic to highlands in the Albertine Rift in central Africa.[1] It reaches up to 30 cm (12 in) in total length and only the adult male has three horns; females are hornless.[4]

Quick Facts Trioceros johnstoni, Conservation status ...

Taxonomy and etymology

The three long annulated horns in the male T. johnstoni makes it superficially similar to T. jacksonii and T. werneri, and to 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 honor of the British explorer Harry Johnston.[6][7]

Distribution and habitat

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

Males of T. johnstoni are fiercely territorial and readily will fight other males, using their horns and biting.[4] T. johnstoni is oviparous, with the female laying 4–23 eggs per clutch.[5]

References

  1. [1]
    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.
  2. [2]
    "Trioceros johnstoni ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. [3]
    Tilbury, C.R. (2010). Chameleons of Africa: An Atlas, Including the Chameleons of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Frankfurt: Edition Chimaira.
  4. [4]
    Spawls, S.; Howell, K.; Drewes, R.; Ashe, J. (2002). A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa. Academic Press. pp. 228–229. ISBN 0-12-656470-1.
  5. [5]
    Hughes, D.F.; Blackburn, D.G. (2020). "Evolutionary origins of viviparity in Chamaeleonidae". Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. 58 (1): 284–302. doi:10.1111/jzs.12328.
  6. [6]
    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.
  7. [7]
    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).


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