Four-horned chameleon
Four-horned chameleon | |
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A four-horned chameleon from Mount Kupe in Cameroon | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Iguania |
Family: | Chamaeleonidae |
Genus: | Trioceros |
Species: | T. quadricornis
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Binomial name | |
Trioceros quadricornis (Tornier, 1899)
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A map illustrating highland areas of the Cameroon line, including some of those inhabited by the four-horned chameleon |
The four-horned chameleon (Trioceros quadricornis), also known as Eisentraut's chameleon, is a species of chameleon native to highland areas in western Cameroon and southeastern Nigeria.
Taxonomy[]
The four-horned chameleon was first described in 1899 by the naturalist Gustav Tornier. There are three subspecies, including the nominate.[2]
- T. q. quadricornis (Tornier, 1899) – southern four-horned chameleon
- T. q. eisentrauti (Mertens, 1968) – Eisentraut's chameleon
- T. q. gracilior (Böhme & Klaver, 1981) – northern four-horned chameleon
Distribution and habitat[]
The four-horned chameleon is found only in some highland areas associated with the Cameroon line across Cameroon and eastern Nigeria; its range includes the Western High Plateau, the Bamboutos massif, Mount Manengouba, Oku Massif, the Bakossi Mountains including Mount Kupe, and the Obudu Plateau in Nigeria. T. q. eisentrauti in particular is endemic to the Rumpi Hills of Cameroon.[2] Overall, T. quadricornis has an extent of occurrence of 13,300 km2 and an inferred area of occupancy of 1,000 km2. The species is primarily associated with relatively intact montane forest with limited human activity, where it has a relatively restricted elevational range (1150 to 2400 metres). Research suggests that this is likely to reflect competition with other chameleon species rather than physiological tolerances.[1] The type locality for the species is Mount Manegouba in Cameroon.[2]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/Bonn_zoological_bulletin_-_Trioceros_eisentrauti_%28female%29.jpg/170px-Bonn_zoological_bulletin_-_Trioceros_eisentrauti_%28female%29.jpg)
Description and behavior[]
Like many other chameleons, the four-horned chameleon has a prehensile tail and single claws on its toes. It usually has four prominent horns, but sometimes two are present with up to four adjacent reduced horns;[3] adults typically grow to a length of 10 to 14 inches. Male four-horned chameleons have a prominent hemipenal bulge and a gular beard, while some female four-horned chameleons have one horn or even two horns on the tip of the snout.[4] The species almost exclusively feeds on arthropods.[1]
Conservation and threats[]
Because of its small and fragmented range coupled with numerous threats to its population, the four-horned chameleon is ranked Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There are concerns that logging and agricultural expansion may contribute to deforestation and potentially threaten the status of the species by degrading its habitat; in addition, despite its status as a protected Class A species in Cameroon, its intensive exploitation by the pet trade has caused significant population declines in some cases.[1]
References[]
- ^ a b c d Anderson, C.V.; Gonwouo, N.L. (2015). "Four-horned Chameleon". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
- ^ a b c Uetz, P.; Freed, P. "Trioceros quadricornis (TORNIER, 1899)". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ^ Chirio, Laurent; Lebreton, Matthew (2007). Atlas des reptiles du Cameroun. Patrimoines naturels. Vol. 67. Paris: Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. ISBN 9782856536032. OCLC 470695165.
- ^ Davison, Linda. "Four-Horned Chameleons". Reptiles Magazine. Chewy, Inc. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- IUCN Red List vulnerable species
- Trioceros
- Lizards of Africa
- Reptiles of West Africa
- Reptiles of Cameroon
- Reptiles described in 1899
- Taxa named by Gustav Tornier
- Cameroonian Highlands forests