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.[3] The species is endemic to highlands in the Albertine Rift in central Africa.[1] It reaches up to 30 cm (12 in) in total length (including tail). Only the adult male has three horns. The female is hornless.[4]

Trioceros johnstoni
Male
Female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Chamaeleonidae
Genus: Trioceros
Species:
T. johnstoni
Binomial name
Trioceros johnstoni
(Boulenger, 1901)
Synonyms[2]
  • Chamaeleon johnstoni
    Boulenger, 1901
  • Chamaeleo johnstoni
    Laurent, 1951
  • Chamaeleo (Trioceros) johnstoni
    Nečas, 1999
  • Trioceros johnstoni
    Tilbury & Tolley, 2009

Taxonomy and etymology

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

Distribution and habitat

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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

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Males of T. johnstoni are fiercely territorial and readily will fight other males, using their horns and biting.[4]

Reproduction

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T. johnstoni is oviparous, with the female laying 4–23 eggs per clutch.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c 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. ^ Species Trioceros johnstoni at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ^ Tilbury, C.R. (2010). Chameleons of Africa: An Atlas, Including the Chameleons of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Edition Chimaira. ISBN 978-3899731156.
  4. ^ a b c Spawls, S.; Howell, K.; Drewes, R.; Ashe, J. (2002). A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Academic Press. pp. 228–229. ISBN 0-12-656470-1.
  5. ^ a b c Hughes, Daniel F.; Blackburn, Daniel 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. ^ 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. (Chamæleon johnstoni, new species, p. 136 + Plate XIII).
  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).

Further reading

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  • Spawls S, Howell K, Hinkel H, Menegon M (2018). Field Guide to East African Reptiles, Second Edition. London: Bloomsbury Wildlife. 624 pp. ISBN 978-1-399-40481-5. (Trioceros johnstoni, pp. 293–294).
  • Tilbury CR, Tolley KA (2009). "A re-appraisal of the systematics of the African genus Chamaeleo (Reptilia: Chamaeleonidae)". Zootaxa 2079: 57–68. (Trioceros johnstoni, new combination).