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 | |
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| |
| Female | |
Scientific 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] | |
Taxonomy and etymology
editThe 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
editT. 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
editMales of T. johnstoni are fiercely territorial and readily will fight other males, using their horns and biting.[4]
Reproduction
editT. johnstoni is oviparous, with the female laying 4–23 eggs per clutch.[5]
References
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ Species Trioceros johnstoni at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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).
- ^ 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
edit- 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).
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