''Kinyongia tavetana'', the Kilimanjaro two-horned chameleon or Kilimanjaro blade-horned chameleon, is a species of
chameleon
Chameleons or chamaeleons (Family (biology), family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 200 species described as of June 2015. The members of this Family (biology), family are best known for ...
in the genus ''
Kinyongia''. It is native to forests, woodlands, well-wooded gardens and plantations in the highlands of southern
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
and northern
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
.
Its
type locality is
Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, at above sea level and above its plateau base. It is also the highest volcano i ...
,
but it is also known from
Chyulu Hills and
Mount Meru to the
Pare Mountains.
Taxonomy
Until 1991 when they were split, ''K. tavetana'' was generally considered a subpopulation or
subspecies
In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
of ''
K. fischeri''.
In 2002, the subpopulation from
Taita Hills in Kenya was described as a new subspecies, ''K. tavetana boehmei'',
but in 2008 it was recommended that it instead should be recognized as a separate species, ''
K. boehmei''.
[
]
Appearance
The species' reached up to in total length, with males growing larger than females. It varies in colour and pattern, partially depending on location and sex, but is generally various shades of brown, grey, green, yellow, red or blue. The adult male has a pair of diverging, blade-like "horns" on the nose, which are lacking in females.[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q232867
Kinyongia
Reptiles of Kenya
Reptiles of Tanzania
Reptiles described in 1891
Taxa named by Franz Steindachner