| Namaqua dwarf chameleon | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Chamaeleonidae |
| Genus: | Bradypodion |
| Species: | B. occidentale |
| Binomial name | |
| Bradypodion occidentale (Hewitt, 1935) | |
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The Namaqua dwarf chameleon or the western dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion occidentale) occurs in beach vegetation, along the west coast of South Africa and Namibia.
The Namaqua is relatively large for a Dwarf Chameleon, reaching up to 16 cm in length. It also has a relatively stocky build, and the shortest tail of its genus. It has several distinctive "gular" grooves under its chin, running from its mouth down to the top of its chest. In colour it is a dull, mottled brown-grey.
This species occurs along the coastal regions of the far west of South Africa. It is found in a belt from Melkbosstrand (near Cape Town) in the south, up to Lüderitz, Namibia.
In this range, it favours the coastal Strandveld vegetation and is only very rarely found further inland. In the south, near Cape Town, its range slightly overlaps with that of the Cape Dwarf Chameleon, but the two favour different habitats. They can also easily be distinguished as the Cape Dwarf Chameleon has far brighter colouration, with a lighter build, longer tail, and blunter nose and casque.
In the vicinity of human habitation, they have a tendency to fall victim to domestic cats. They are also threatened by habitat loss, as coastal vegetation is increasingly disturbed for development.
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.
The Namaqua chameleon is a ground-living lizard found in the western desert regions of Namibia, South Africa and southern Angola.
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.
Bitis schneideri is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to a small coastal region that straddles the border between Namibia and South Africa. B. scneideri is the smallest species in the genus Bitis and possibly the world's smallest viper. There are no subspecies that are currently recognized as being valid.
The wildlife of South Africa consists of the flora and fauna of this country in southern Africa. The country has a range of different habitat types and an ecologically rich and diverse wildlife, vascular plants being particularly abundant, many of them endemic to the country. There are few forested areas, much savanna grassland, semi-arid Karoo vegetation and the fynbos of the Cape Floristic Region. Famed for its national parks and big game, 297 species of mammal have been recorded in South Africa, as well as 849 species of bird and over 20,000 species of vascular plants.
Setaro's dwarf chameleon is a species of lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae.
The Transvaal dwarf chameleon is a chameleon native to South Africa, where it is found in forested areas of Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces. It is also known as the Wolkberg dwarf chameleon, after the Wolkberg range.
The Transkei dwarf chameleon or Pondo dwarf chameleon is a chameleon endemic to the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
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.
The Swartberg dwarf chameleon is a species of chameleon endemic to South Africa.
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.
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.
The Kentani dwarf chameleon occurs in coastal area of the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Bradypodion ventrale, the southern dwarf chameleon, occurs in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is also known as the eastern Cape dwarf chameleon. It is a relatively large species of dwarf chameleon, reaching lengths of 14 cm (5.5 in). It has a very prominent casque on the back of its head and a long, beard-like throat crest. It lives in dense thickets and shrub, and is usually very difficult to spot because of its colouring. It adapts very well to living in suburban gardens, but domestic cats – being introduced predators – will usually kill all chameleons in the immediate area. Consequently, one should not bring chameleons into a garden which is frequented by cats. It gives birth to litters of between 10 and 20 babies in the summer.
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 Ngome dwarf chameleon is a species of chameleon found in South Africa.
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.
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.
Marshall's pygmy chameleon, also called Marshall's leaf chameleon, Marshall's dwarf chameleon, or Marshall's stumptail chameleon, is a species of chameleon found in the forests of Zimbabwe and Mozambique in Africa. It grows from 3.5 to 7.5 cm and feeds on insects. When standing still, it resembles a leaf on a branch.
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.
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