Taita blade-horned chameleon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Taita blade-horned chameleon |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
 |
|
| Male above, female below | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Kinyongia
|
| Species: |
boehmei
|
 |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
The Taita blade-horned chameleon (Kinyongia boehmei) is a special type of chameleon. It is also known as Böhme's two-horned chameleon or Dwarf fischer's chameleon. This amazing lizard belongs to the family called Chamaeleonidae.
You can only find this chameleon in the Taita Hills area of southeastern Kenya. It is the smallest chameleon in a group known as the "two-horned chameleons" from East Africa. Before 2008, many people thought it was just a part of another chameleon species, K. tavetana.
Contents
About the Taita Blade-Horned Chameleon
Kinyongia boehmei was first officially described by scientists in 2002. At that time, it was seen as a smaller group (subspecies) of K. tavetana.
In 2008, scientists looked closely at the "two-horned chameleons" in Kenya and Tanzania. Before this study, only two species were recognized: K. fischeri and K. tavetana. The study showed that boehmei was different enough to be its own separate species. Even so, it is still very closely related to K. tavetana.
The name boehmei was given to honor a German scientist named Wolfgang Böhme. He studied reptiles and amphibians.
Where It Lives and Its Home
The Taita blade-horned chameleon lives only in the Taita Hills in southeastern Kenya. It can be found at high places, from about 1,000 to 2,200 meters (3,280 to 7,200 feet) above sea level.
These chameleons live in the tops of trees in forests. They also live in small groups of trees and bushes on farms where people grow food for themselves.
What It Looks Like
K. boehmei is the smallest chameleon in the "two-horned chameleon" group from Kenya and Tanzania. It can grow up to 18.6 centimeters (about 7.3 inches) long. More than half of its length is its tail.
Female chameleons of this species do not grow as large as the males. Adult males have two big, flat "horns" on their nose. These horns usually run side by side. Females, however, do not have these horns.
The flat shape of the male's horns helps tell them apart from male K. tavetana. The horns on male K. tavetana are shaped more like triangles. Both male and female K. boehmei have small bumps on the ridge of their back, near their head. These bumps are not found on K. tavetana.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
K. boehmei lays eggs. This means they are oviparous. A female chameleon usually lays between 2 and 11 eggs at one time.
