Kinyongia

Kinyongia
Sleeping dwarf two-horned chameleon
(K. tavetana)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Lacertilia
Family: Chamaeleonidae
Genus: Kinyongia
Tilbury, Tolley and Branch, 2006

Kinyongia (derived from the species' name in Kiswahili language)[1] is a chameleon genus recently established for several plesiomorphic species found in forest and woodland in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and far eastern DR Congo. All except K. adolfifriderici and K. tavetana are restricted to highlands and many have very small distributions. In most, at least the males have horns or knobs on their noses. They were erroneously placed into Bradypodion for some time[2][3] It has recently been pointed out that the ending to the specific epithet in several of the below listed species should be modified to match the feminine genus name.[4]

Species

References

  1. ↑ "Some Important Changes in the Systematics of Bradypodion. Kinyongia is derived from the species name in Kiswahili language". Chameleons Online E-Zine. Retrieved 2012-09-24.
  2. ↑ Klaver, C.J.J. & Böhme, W. (1986): Phylogeny and classification of the Chamaeleonidae (Sauria) with special reference to hemipenis morphology. Bonner Zoologische Monographien 22: 1–64.
  3. ↑ Tolley, Krystal A.; Tilbury, Colin R. & Branch, William R. (2004): Phylogenetics of the southern African dwarf chameleons, Bradypodion (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 30: 354–365. doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(03)00211-2 PDF fulltext
  4. ↑ Tolley, Krystal A.; Tilbury, Colin R. & Branch, William R. (2007): Corrections to species names recently placed in Kinyongia and Nadzikambia (Reptilia: Chamaeleonidae). Zootaxa 1426: 68.