Natal Midlands dwarf chameleon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Natal Midlands dwarf chameleon |
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Bradypodion
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thamnobates
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The Natal Midlands dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion thamnobates) is a small chameleon that lives in the woodlands of the Midlands area in South Africa. It is found in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
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About the Natal Midlands Dwarf Chameleon
What Does It Look Like?
This chameleon is quite small for its type, growing to about 7.6 centimeters (3 inches) long. It has bumpy scales of different colors all over its body.
Its head has a yellow crest, and its throat is white. Male chameleons have a short orange stripe around the middle of their bodies. They also have red spots on their eyelids. Female chameleons are usually brown and have smaller helmet-like bumps on their heads. Both males and females can show many different colors.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The scientific name for this chameleon is Bradypodion thamnobates. The second part of its name, thamnobates, means "bush-walker." This describes how it moves through bushes and plants.
Besides its main name, people also call it the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands dwarf chameleon.
Family Tree: Relatives of This Chameleon
The Natal Midlands dwarf chameleon is very closely related to the black-headed dwarf chameleon (B. melanocephalum). Even though they are related, they look quite different. This is because the black-headed dwarf chameleon has adapted to live in different places, like low forests and rocky areas near the sea.
Scientists once thought these two chameleons might be different versions of the same species. However, when young chameleons from both groups were raised in the same conditions, they still grew up looking like their original groups. This showed that they are indeed separate species.
There are other dwarf chameleons in KwaZulu-Natal that seem related to both the Natal Midlands dwarf chameleon and the black-headed dwarf chameleon. Scientists are still studying them to understand how they are all connected. It's possible they all came from a common ancestor not too long ago.
Another interesting relative is the bright green emerald dwarf chameleon. It lives in the Drakensberg mountains. Scientists now know it is closely related to the Natal Midlands dwarf chameleon. It might even be named as a separate species in the future.
Where Does It Live?
The Natal Midlands dwarf chameleon lives in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and Gilboa Forest areas of South Africa. Its home range might even touch the area where the Drakensberg dwarf chameleon (B. dracomontanum) lives, near eastern Lesotho. However, the Drakensberg species is not closely related to the KwaZulu-Natal group.
Sadly, the Natal Midlands dwarf chameleon is considered an Endangered species by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). This means it is at a high risk of becoming extinct in the wild. People in the local area sometimes use it in traditional medicine.
