Nadzikambia

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Nadzikambia
Nadzikambia baylissi (10.3897-zse.92.9948) Figure 4 (cropped).jpg
Nadzikambia baylissi
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Chamaeleonidae
Subfamily: Chamaeleoninae
Genus: Nadzikambia
Tilbury, Tolley & Branch, 2006
Nadzikambia sp. distribution.png

Currently, two species are placed in the recently established genus Nadzikambia (derived from the species' name in Chichewa). They are plesiomorphic, small chameleons from the Ruo Gorge forest on Mount Mulanje in Malawi and Mount Mabu in Mozambique.

Initially placed into Chamaeleo , it was for some time moved to the South African dwarf chameleons (Bradypodion) by some (Klaver & Böhme, 1986). This was criticized because plesiomorphies cannot be used to define clades, and eventually turned out to be in error. [1]

Species

ImageScientific nameCommon NameDistribution
Nadzikambia baylissi (10.3897-zse.92.9948) Figure 4 (cropped).jpg Nadzikambia baylissi((Branch and Tolley, 2010) Mount Mabu chameleon Mount Mabu in Mozambique.
Nadzikambia mlanjensis((Broadley, 1965) Mlanje Mountain chameleon Mount Mulanje in Malawi.

Related Research Articles

Chameleon Family of reptiles

Chameleons or chamaeleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are most known for their distinct range of colors as they are able to shift in different hues and brightness. Because of the large number of species in their family, there is a large variability in their ability to change color. For some, it is more of a shift of brightness whereas others it is a plethora of combinations of colors.

<i>Bradypodion</i> Genus of lizards

Bradypodion is one of six genera of chameleons within the "true" or "typical" chameleons. They are native to southern Africa, and are sometimes collectively called South African dwarf chameleons. Some other small chameleons from eastern and central Africa are occasionally placed herein, but this is probably in error and not followed here. See also Systematics below and Kinyongia and Nadzikambia.

<i>Rhampholeon</i> Genus of lizards

Rhampholeon is a genus of small chameleons, commonly known as pygmy chameleons or African leaf chameleons, found in central East Africa. They are found in forests, woodlands, thickets, and savanna, and most species are restricted to highlands. They are brown, grey, or green, and typically seen at low levels in bushes, or on the ground among grasses or leaf litter.

Cape dwarf chameleon Species of reptile

The Cape dwarf chameleon is a chameleon native to the South African province of the Western Cape, where it is restricted to the region around Cape Town.

<i>Kinyongia</i> Genus of lizards

Kinyongia is a chameleon genus recently established for several plesiomorphic species found in forest and woodland in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and far eastern DR Congo. All except K. adolfifriderici and K. tavetana are restricted to highlands, and many have very small geographic ranges. In most, at least the males have horns or knobs on their noses. They had been placed into the genus Bradypodion for some time. It has recently been pointed out that the ending to the specific epithet in several of the below listed species should be modified to match the feminine genus name.

Smiths dwarf chameleon Species of lizard

Smith's dwarf chameleon or the Elandsberg dwarf chameleon,, is a species of lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae endemic to South Africa. It is one of the few chameleons that uses its color-changing ability to actively camouflage itself.

Robertson dwarf chameleon Species of lizard

The Robertson dwarf chameleon, also known as the Little Karoo dwarf chameleon, is a chameleon in the genus Bradypodion. It is found in the dry Fynbos and Renosterveld shrub vegetation, in the centre of the Western Cape province, South Africa.

Swartberg dwarf chameleon Species of lizard

The Swartberg dwarf chameleon is a species of chameleon endemic to South Africa.

Knysna dwarf chameleon Species of lizard

The Knysna dwarf chameleon is a species of dwarf chameleon in the Bradypodion genus that is endemic to South Africa. It is a forest dweller, found only in a limited range in the afromontane forests near Knysna, South Africa, and in certain surrounding areas.

Mount Mabu Mountain in Mozambique

Mount Mabu is a mountain in northern Mozambique, famous for its old-growth rain forest. Mount Mabu is approximately 1,700 metres high and the forest covers about 7,000 hectares. While well known locally, the Mount Mabu forest and its extremely diverse wildlife were unknown to plant and animal scientists until 2005. It was visited after browsing Google Earth in 2005 by a team of scientists from the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT) and several ornithologists, and later in 2008 by scientists from Kew Royal Botanic Gardens; by browsing Google Earth's satellite view to look for potential unknown wildlife hotspots in Africa. It is frequently referred to as the "Google Forest".

Black-headed dwarf chameleon Species of lizard

The black-headed dwarf chameleon is a lizard of the family Chamaeleonidae endemic to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is also known as the KwaZulu dwarf chamaeleon and Durban dwarf chameleon.

Drakensberg dwarf chameleon Species of lizard

The Drakensberg dwarf chameleon occurs in the Drakensberg, South Africa, between the latitudes of 27°45′ and 29°15′. Bright green dwarf chameleons found in the Drakensberg south of 29°15′ are now known to be more closely related to the Natal Midlands dwarf chameleon and may yet be described as a separate species. Picture

The Karoo dwarf chameleon is a chameleon native to South Africa. It is about 14 cm (6 in) long, mostly colored grey and brown, sometimes olive. The thin skin around the throat is yellow, and it has conical scales along the spine.

Natal Midlands dwarf chameleon Species of reptile

The Natal Midlands dwarf chameleon is a chameleon native to woodland habitat in the inland Midlands area of the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal.

Kinyongia carpenteri, commonly called Carpenter's chameleon or the helmeted chameleon, is a species of chameleon, a lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is native to central Africa.

Chamaeleoninae Subfamily of lizards

Chamaeleoninae is the nominotypical subfamily of chameleons. The Family Chamaeleonidae was divided into two subfamilies, Brookesiinae and Chamaeleoninae, by Klaver and Böhme in 1986. Since its erection in 1986, however, the validity of this subfamily designation has been the subject of much debate, although most phylogenetic studies support the notion that the pygmy chameleons of the subfamily Brookesiinae are not a monophyletic group. While some authorities have previously preferred to use the subfamilial classification on the basis of the absence of evidence principal, these authorities later abandoned this subfamilial division, no longer recognizing any subfamilies with the family Chamaeleonidae. In 2015, however, Glaw reworked the subfamilial division by placing only the genera Brookesia and Palleon within the Brookesiinae subfamily, with all other genera being placed in Chamaeleoninae.

Brookesiinae Subfamily of lizards

The Family Chamaeleonidae was divided into two subfamilies, Brookesiinae and Chamaeleoninae, by Klaver and Böhme in 1986. Under this classification, Brookesiinae included the genera Brookesia and Rhampholeon, as well as the genera later split off from them. The Brookesiinae are small, often brown in colour, and occur in central Africa and Madagascar. They have terrestrial habits, or may be found in the lower levels of shrubs. Since its erection in 1986, however, the validity of this subfamily designation has been the subject of much debate, although most phylogenetic studies support the notion that the pygmy chameleons of the subfamily Brookesiinae are not a monophyletic group. While some authorities have previously preferred to use the subfamilial classification on the basis of the absence of evidence principal, these authorities later abandoned this subfamilial division, no longer recognizing any subfamilies with the family Chamaeleonidae. In 2015, however, Glaw reworked the subfamilial division by placing only the genera Brookesia and Palleon within the Brookesiinae subfamily, with all other genera being placed in Chamaeleoninae.

The Mlanje Mountain chameleon is one of two species in the genus Nadzikambia. It is a plesiomorphic, small chameleon from the Ruo Gorge forest on Mount Mulanje in Malawi.

Mount Mabu chameleon Species of lizard

The Mount Mabu chameleon is one of two species in the genus Nadzikambia. It is a small chameleon from Mount Mabu in Mozambique.

<i>Kinyongia boehmei</i> Species of lizard

Kinyongia boehmei is species of chameleon, a lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The IUCN Red List gives two alternative English common names for this species: Taita blade-horned chameleon and Böhme's two-horned chameleon. The species is endemic to Kenya.

References

  1. Tolley, Krystal A.; Tilbury, Colin R. & Branch, William R. (2004): Phylogenetics of the southern African dwarf chameleons, Bradypodion (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution30: 354–365. doi : 10.1016/S1055-7903(03)00211-2 PDF fulltext Archived 2007-02-02 at the Wayback Machine