Chamaeleo: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Example : southern Europe
Tags: Reverted Mobile edit Mobile web edit
accuracy for Chamaeleo senu lato (note split of Archaius & that a couple of genera formerly in Brookesiinae have been moved to Chamaeleoninae); pic+full range for C. anchietae
(8 intermediate revisions by 6 users not shown)
Line 13: Line 13:


[[Image:Chamealeon dilepis petersi.jpg|thumb|250px|''[[Chamaeleo dilepis]]'', flap-necked chameleon]]
[[Image:Chamealeon dilepis petersi.jpg|thumb|250px|''[[Chamaeleo dilepis]]'', flap-necked chameleon]]
'''''Chamaeleo''''' is a [[genus]] of [[chameleon]]s in the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Chamaeleonidae]]. Most [[species]] of the genus ''Chamaeleo'' are found in [[sub-Saharan Africa]], but a few [[species]] are also present in [[southern Europe]], [[northern Africa]], and southern [[Asia]] east to [[India]] and [[Sri Lanka]].
'''''Chamaeleo''''' is a [[genus]] of [[chameleon]]s in the [[Family (biology)|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]].


==Description==
==Description==
Line 30: Line 30:
''Chamaeleo'' is the [[type genus]] of the [[Family (biology)|family]] Chamaeleonidae.
''Chamaeleo'' is the [[type genus]] of the [[Family (biology)|family]] Chamaeleonidae.


All other [[Genus|genera]] of the [[subfamily]] Chamaeleoninae (''[[Bradypodion]]'', ''[[Calumma]]'', ''[[Furcifer]]'', ''[[Kinyongia]]'', ''[[Nadzikambia]]'', and ''[[Trioceros]]'') have at some point been included in the genus ''Chamaeleo'', but are now regarded as separate genera by virtually all authorities.
All other [[genera]] of "traditional chameleons" in the [[subfamily]] Chamaeleoninae (''[[Archaius]]'', ''[[Bradypodion]]'', ''[[Calumma]]'', ''[[Furcifer]]'', ''[[Kinyongia]]'', ''[[Nadzikambia]]'', and ''[[Trioceros]]'') have at some point been included in the genus ''Chamaeleo'', but are now regarded as separate genera by virtually all authorities.


==Extant species==
==Extant species==
Line 40: Line 40:
|[[File:Benny Trapp Chamaeleo africanus sitzt auf fertigem Nest.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Chamaeleo africanus]]'' <small>[[Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti|Laurenti]], 1768</small> || African chameleon || Sahel, from Mali and Mauritania to Sudan, north to Egypt
|[[File:Benny Trapp Chamaeleo africanus sitzt auf fertigem Nest.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Chamaeleo africanus]]'' <small>[[Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti|Laurenti]], 1768</small> || African chameleon || Sahel, from Mali and Mauritania to Sudan, north to Egypt
|-
|-
| ||''[[Chamaeleo anchietae]]'' <small>[[José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage|Bocage]], 1872</small> || [[Angola]] double-scaled chameleon || Angola (Huila, Mossamedes), Congo
|[[File:Chamaeleo anchietae Reptilians 2019 Book Biodiversity of Angola (page 317 crop) 3.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Chamaeleo anchietae]]'' <small>[[José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage|Bocage]], 1872</small> || [[Angola]] double-scaled chameleon || Angola, DR Congo, Tanzania
|-
|-
| ||''[[Chamaeleo arabicus]]'' <small>[[Paul Matschie|Matschie]], 1893</small> || [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabian]] chameleon ||southern Arabian Peninsula
|[[File:Chamaeleo arabicus.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Chamaeleo arabicus]]'' <small>[[Paul Matschie|Matschie]], 1893</small> || [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabian]] chameleon ||southern Arabian Peninsula
|-
|-
| ||''[[Chamaeleo calcaricarens]]'' <small>[[:de:Wolfgang Böhme (Zoologe)|Böhme]], 1985</small> || [[Awash, Ethiopia|Awash]] spurless chameleon ||Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, N Somalia
| ||''[[Chamaeleo calcaricarens]]'' <small>[[:de:Wolfgang Böhme (Zoologe)|Böhme]], 1985</small> || [[Awash, Ethiopia|Awash]] spurless chameleon ||Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, N Somalia
Line 52: Line 52:


|-
|-
|[[File:Flap-necked chameleon chamaeleo dilepis.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Chamaeleo dilepis]]'' <small>[[William Elford Leach|Leach]], 1819</small> || flap-necked chameleon ||Congo, Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi (Shire Highlands), Namibia, Nigeria, Republic of South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana,
|[[File:Flap-necked chameleon chamaeleo dilepis.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Chamaeleo dilepis]]'' <small>[[William Elford Leach|Leach]], 1819</small> || flap-necked chameleon ||Congo, Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi (Shire Highlands), Namibia, Nigeria, Republic of South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana,
Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda (see note), Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire; except in the north), Zambia, Burundi, Uganda, E Zaire, Tanzania (Pemba Island), Mozambique, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe
Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda (see note), Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire; except in the north), Zambia, Burundi, Uganda, E Zaire, Tanzania (Pemba Island), Mozambique, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe
|-
|-
Line 58: Line 58:
Gambia, Benin, E Burkina Faso
Gambia, Benin, E Burkina Faso
|-
|-
| ||''[[Chamaeleo laevigatus]]'' <small>[[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1863</small> || smooth chameleon ||Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, North and South Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), Central African Republic, Zambia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Cameroon
|[[File:Chamaeleo laevigatus 140185897.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Chamaeleo laevigatus]]'' <small>[[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1863</small> || smooth chameleon ||Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, North and South Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), Central African Republic, Zambia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Cameroon
|-
|-
| ||''[[Chamaeleo monachus]]'' <small>[[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1865</small> || [[Socotra]]n chameleon ||Yemen (Socotra Island)
| ||''[[Chamaeleo monachus]]'' <small>[[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1865</small> || [[Socotra]]n chameleon ||Yemen (Socotra Island)
Line 72: Line 72:
|}
|}
''[[Nota bene]]'': A [[Binomial nomenclature|binomial authority]] or [[Trinomen|trinomial authority]] in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than ''Chamaeleo''.
''[[Nota bene]]'': A [[Binomial nomenclature|binomial authority]] or [[Trinomen|trinomial authority]] in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than ''Chamaeleo''.

==Fossils==
==Fossils==
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
Line 77: Line 78:
! Image !! Scientific name !! Distribution
! Image !! Scientific name !! Distribution
|-
|-
| ||†''[[Chamaeleo caroliquarti]]'' <small>Moody & Rocek, 1980</small> || Czech Republic
| ||†''[[Chamaeleo caroliquarti]]'' <small>Moody & Rocek, 1980</small> || Czech Republic (Miocene)
|-
| [[File:Chamaeleon intermedius.png|frameless|center]]||†''[[Chamaeleo intermedius]]'' <small>Hillenius, 1978</small><ref name=Hillenius>{{Cite journal|last1=Hillenius|first1=D.|year=1978|title=Notes on Chameleons IV. A New Chameleon, from the Miocene of Fort Ternan, Kenya (Chamaeleonidae, Reptilia)|url=https://repository.naturalis.nl/pub/504813|journal=Beaufortia|volume=28|issue=343|pages=9–15}}</ref> || Kenya (Miocene)
|-
|-
|}
|}

==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
Line 94: Line 98:


{{Taxonbar|from=Q1767161}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1767161}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Chamaeleo| ]]
[[Category:Chamaeleo| ]]

Revision as of 14:42, 2 November 2023

Chamaeleo
Temporal range: Early Miocene- present, 26–0 Ma
Chamaeleo calyptratus, veiled chameleon
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Chamaeleonidae
Subfamily: Chamaeleoninae
Genus: Chamaeleo
Laurenti, 1768[1]
Type species
Chamaeleo parisiensium
Laurenti, 1768
Diversity
14 species
Chamaeleo dilepis, flap-necked chameleon

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.

Description

Species in the genus Chamaeleo are slow moving, with independently movable eyes, the ability to change skin colouration, a long tongue, usually a prehensile tail, and special leg adaptations for grasping vegetation. Males are generally larger and more colorful than females. Almost all species have a maximum snout-vent length (SVL) between 15 and 40 centimetres (5.9 and 15.7 in).

Behavior

The vast majority of Chamaeleo species are arboreal and typically found in trees or bushes, but a few species (notably the Namaqua Chameleon) are partially or largely terrestrial.

Reproduction

The genus Chamaeleo includes only oviparous species.

In captivity

With few exceptions, the chameleons most commonly seen in captivity are all members of the genus Chamaeleo; the most commonly found species in the pet trade (as well as through captive breeders) include the common, Senegal, and veiled chameleons, but all chameleons tend to require special care, and are generally suited to the intermediate or advanced reptile keeper.

Taxonomy

Chamaeleo is the type genus of the family Chamaeleonidae.

All other genera of "traditional chameleons" in the subfamily Chamaeleoninae (Archaius, Bradypodion, Calumma, Furcifer, Kinyongia, Nadzikambia, and Trioceros) have at some point been included in the genus Chamaeleo, but are now regarded as separate genera by virtually all authorities.

Extant species

14 species are recognized as being valid, and subspecies are recognized for some species.[2]

Image Scientific name Common Name Distribution
Chamaeleo africanus Laurenti, 1768 African chameleon Sahel, from Mali and Mauritania to Sudan, north to Egypt
Chamaeleo anchietae Bocage, 1872 Angola double-scaled chameleon Angola, DR Congo, Tanzania
Chamaeleo arabicus Matschie, 1893 Arabian chameleon southern Arabian Peninsula
Chamaeleo calcaricarens Böhme, 1985 Awash spurless chameleon Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, N Somalia
Chamaeleo calyptratus A.M.C. Duméril & A.H.A. Duméril, 1851 veiled chameleon Yemen and Saudi Arabia
Chamaeleo chamaeleon (Linnaeus, 1758) common chameleon S Greece (Aegean Islands, Crete, Chios, Samos), Malta, S Portugal, S Spain, S/E Turkey, Cyprus, Italy (Apulia, Calabria),

N Africa: Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sinai, Israel, Jordan, SW Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq

Chamaeleo dilepis Leach, 1819 flap-necked chameleon Congo, Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi (Shire Highlands), Namibia, Nigeria, Republic of South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana,

Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda (see note), Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire; except in the north), Zambia, Burundi, Uganda, E Zaire, Tanzania (Pemba Island), Mozambique, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe

Chamaeleo gracilis Hallowell, 1844 graceful chameleon Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), Senegal, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Guinea (Conakry),

Gambia, Benin, E Burkina Faso

Chamaeleo laevigatus Gray, 1863 smooth chameleon Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, North and South Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), Central African Republic, Zambia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Cameroon
Chamaeleo monachus Gray, 1865 Socotran chameleon Yemen (Socotra Island)
Chamaeleo namaquensis A. Smith, 1831 Namaqua chameleon South Angola, Namibia, Republic of South Africa
Chamaeleo necasi Ullenbruch, P. Krause & Böhme, 2007 Nečas' flap-necked chameleon Togo, Benin
Chamaeleo senegalensis Daudin, 1802 Senegal chameleon Tropical West Africa from Senegal to Cameroon: Guinea-Bissau, Guinea (Conakry), Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Mali, Gambia (HÅKANSSON 1981), Central African Republic, Mauritania
Chamaeleo zeylanicus Laurenti, 1768 Indian chameleon Sri Lanka, India (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Southern plains of the Ganges, Tamil Nadu, Telangana), Pakistan

Nota bene: A binomial authority or trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Chamaeleo.

Fossils

Image Scientific name Distribution
†Chamaeleo caroliquarti Moody & Rocek, 1980 Czech Republic (Miocene)
†Chamaeleo intermedius Hillenius, 1978[3] Kenya (Miocene)

References

  1. ^ Genus "Chamaeleo ". ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). www.itis.gov.
  2. ^ Genus Chamaeleo at The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ^ Hillenius, D. (1978). "Notes on Chameleons IV. A New Chameleon, from the Miocene of Fort Ternan, Kenya (Chamaeleonidae, Reptilia)". Beaufortia. 28 (343): 9–15.

Further reading

  • Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Genus Chamaeleo, p. 227).
  • Laurenti JN (1768). Specimen medicum, exhibens synopsin reptilium emendatam cum experimentis circa venena et antidota reptilium austriacorum. Vienna: "Joan. Thom. Nob. de Trattnern". 214 pp. + Plates I-V. (Chamaeleo, new genus, p. 45). (in Latin).
  • Spawls S, Howell K, Drewes R, Ashe J (2002). A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa. Köln, Germany: Academic Press. 544 pp. ISBN 0-12-656470-1.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chamaeleo.
Wikispecies has information related to Chamaeleo.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chamaeleo&oldid=1183156630"