Owen's chameleon

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Owen's chameleon
Bonn zoological bulletin - Trioceros oweni (male).jpg
male
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Chamaeleonidae
Genus: Trioceros
Species:
T. oweni
Binomial name
Trioceros oweni
(Gray, 1831)
Trioceros oweni distribution.png
A map illustrating the range of Owen's chameleon
Synonyms [2]

Owen's chameleon (Trioceros oweni), also commonly known as Owen's three-horned chameleon, is a species of lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is native to forests in central Africa. Named after British naval officer and explorer William Fitzwilliam Owen, [3] it was first described in 1831 by the naturalist John Edward Gray, and is the type species of the genus Trioceros . [2]

Contents

Distribution and habitat

Owen's chameleon can be found in much of tropical central Africa, from the Niger Delta in Nigeria in the north, to Angola in the south, and Burundi in the east. [1] It inhabits dense evergreen and semi-deciduous forests at altitudes lower than 800 m (2,600 ft) above sea level, usually living in large trees. [4] The type locality for the species is the island of Bioko in Equatorial Guinea. [2]

A 19th century illustration of Owen's chameleon Chamaeleo tricornis - 1700-1880 - Print - Iconographia Zoologica - Special Collections University of Amsterdam - UBA01 IZ12300055.tif
A 19th century illustration of Owen's chameleon

Description and behavior

Like many other chameleons, Owen's chameleon has a prehensile tail and a single claw on each toe. Males have three smooth horns, [5] while females lack horns but have loose skin on their hind legs that gives the impression of wearing baggy trousers. On average, adult Owen's chameleons range from 25 to 28 cm (9.8 to 11.0 in) in total length (including tail), [4] while a typical weight is around 75 g (2.6 oz). [6] The species is generally arboreal and will leap from branch to branch or to the ground in order to avoid predators; it tends to feed on insects. [1]

Conservation and threats

Because of its wide range, abundance, and population stability, Owen's chameleon is ranked Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. However, there are concerns that logging and agricultural expansion may contribute to deforestation and potentially threaten the status of the species. In addition, it is occasionally exploited via the pet trade or traded locally to be used in traditional medicine; some tribes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo believe that scorched body of an Owen's chameleon can be used as a protective talisman, while around Yaounde in Cameroon the species is utilized as a treatment for maladies believed to be magical. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chameleon</span> Family of reptiles

Chameleons or chamaeleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 200 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colours, being capable of colour-shifting camouflage. The large number of species in the family exhibit considerable variability in their capacity to change colour. For some, it is more of a shift of brightness ; for others, a plethora of colour-combinations can be seen.

<i>Chamaeleo</i> Genus of lizards

Chamaeleo is a genus of chameleons in the family Chamaeleonidae. Most species of the genus Chamaeleo are found in sub-Saharan Africa, but a few species are also present in northern Africa, southern Europe, and southern Asia east to India and Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson's chameleon</span> Species of lizard

Jackson's chameleon, also known commonly as Jackson's horned chameleon, the three-horned chameleon, and the Kikuyu three-horned chameleon, is a species of chameleon, a lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is native to East Africa, and introduced to Hawaii, Florida, and California. There are three recognized subspecies.

<i>Trioceros johnstoni</i> Species of lizard

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. The species is endemic to highlands in the Albertine Rift in central Africa. It reaches up to 30 cm (12 in) in total length. Only the adult male has three horns. The female is hornless.

<i>Trioceros</i> Genus of lizards

Trioceros is a genus of lizards in the family Chamaeleonidae, the chameleons, native to lowlands and highlands in the African mainland, ranging from Ethiopia south to Mozambique and west as far as Ghana. Trioceros was considered a subgenus of the genus Chamaeleo until 2009, when it was elevated to full genus level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meller's chameleon</span> Species of lizard

Trioceros melleri, with the common names Meller's chameleon and giant one-horned chameleon, is the largest species of chameleon from the African mainland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flap-necked chameleon</span> Species of lizard

The flap-necked chameleon is a species of arboreal chameleon, a lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is native to sub-Saharan Africa. There are eight recognized subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies.

The spiny-flanked chameleon, also known as the spiny-sided chameleon, is a species of chameleon endemic to Tanzania. It was first described in 1932 by Arthur Loveridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crested chameleon</span> Species of lizard

The crested chameleon, also known as the sail backed chameleon, is a species of chameleon native to forests and semi-open wooded habitats in Central Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African chameleon</span> Species of lizard

The African chameleon or Sahel chameleon is a species of chameleon native to the Sahel and Nile Valley, with an introduced population present in Greece. An average size may be around 34 cm (13 in) long, including its tail.

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

Kinyongia vosseleri, also known commonly as the Usambara two-horned chameleon and Vosseler's blade-horned chameleon, is an endangered species of lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is endemic to Tanzania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four-horned chameleon</span> Species of lizard

The four-horned chameleon is a species of chameleon, a lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is native to highland areas in western Cameroon and southeastern Nigeria.

<i>Calumma boettgeri</i> Species of lizard

Calumma boettgeri is a species of chameleon, a lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.

Trioceros chapini, also known commonly as Chapin's chameleon, the gray chameleon, and the grey chameleon, is a species of lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is native to Central Africa.

<i>Trioceros ellioti</i> Species of lizard

Trioceros ellioti, also known commonly as Elliot's chameleon, Elliot's groove-throated chameleon, and the montane side-striped chameleon, is a species of lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is indigenous to Africa.

<i>Trioceros feae</i> Species of lizard

Trioceros feae, also known commonly as the Bioko montane chameleon and Fea's chameleon, is a species of lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is endemic to the island of Bioko.

Trioceros fuelleborni, also known commonly as the flapjack chameleon, the Ngosi Volcano chameleon, and the Poroto three-horned chameleon, is a species of lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is endemic to Tanzania.

<i>Trioceros goetzei</i> Species of lizard

Trioceros goetzei, also known commonly as Goetze's chameleon, Goetze's whistling chameleon, and the Ilolo chameleon, is a species of lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is native to eastern Africa. There are two recognized subspecies.

Trioceros harennae, also known commonly as the Harenna hornless chameleon, is a species of lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is endemic to Ethiopia. There are two recognized subspecies.

<i>Trioceros werneri</i> Species of lizard

Trioceros werneri, the Wemer's chameleon or Wemer's three-horned chameleon, is a species of chameleon that is endemic to forests and nearby gardens at altitudes of 1,700–2,600 m (5,600–8,500 ft) in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. The adult male has three distinct "horns", whereas the female has no or only a single short horn on the nose. Like many Trioceros species of highlands, the female T. werneri does not lay eggs, but instead gives birth to live young, typically 15–20 at a time.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Anderson, C.V.; Gonwouo, N.L. (2015). "Trioceros oweni ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T172579A1346167. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T172579A1346167.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Species Trioceros oweni at The Reptile Database
  3. 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. (Chamaeleo oweni, p. 198).
  4. 1 2 Chirio, Laurent; Lebreton, Matthew (2007). Atlas des reptiles du Cameroun. Patrimoines naturels. Vol. 67. Paris: Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. ISBN   9782856536032. OCLC   470695165.
  5. Gonwouo, Legrand N.; LeBreton, Matthew; Wild, Chris; Chirio, Laurent; Ngassam, Pierre; Tchamba, Martin N. (20 November 2006). "Geographic and ecological distribution of the endemic montane chameleons along the Cameroon mountain range" (PDF). Salamandra. 42: 213–230. ISSN   0036-3375 via Mosaic.
  6. "Owen's Chameleon - Chamaeleo oweni - Overview - Encyclopedia of Life". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2017-07-15.

Further reading