lindstedt56
New Member
What ever sex it is a beautiful chameleon
help identify
- Thread starter houseofchameleons
- Start date
houseofchameleons
New Member
Thankyou I think he is beautiful too.I feel very lucky
Chris Anderson
Dr. House of Chameleons
Ginger,
Given that it appears your reliable sources that trump everyone else's thoughts can't tell you what subspecies of flap-necked chameleon you have, you might want to entertain at least considering the thoughts of others. While having an animal in hand and/or seeing it in person often provides information to base identification and sexing decisions off of that are more difficult with photographs, I have to agree with the other experienced individuals in this thread who have indicated that your flap-necked could very well be a female. It does not have as enlarged of a tail base as you would expect in a male and may even be starting to produce eggs given it's shape. We could be wrong of course but I definitely think its a reasonable thought.
Regarding it's subspecies identification, the taxonomy of the "flap-necked chameleons" is rather ambiguous and will vary considerably depending on who you ask. The working list of species that has been being used within the IUCN/SSC's Chameleon Specialist Group (CSG) for the Red List assessments, etc., largely follows the views published in Tilbury's recent book "Chameleons of Africa". In it, many of the previously classified subspecies, some of which authors such as Petr Necas have regarded as full species over the last 15 years or so, are lumped back with Ch. dilepis as "variants" due to inconsistent morphological variations between them, lack of genetic support, etc. Now, in reviewing the original description of Ch. dilepis isabellinus (Günther, 1893), I would say your animal in consistent with this form given the following portion of the description: "Occipital lobes large, elongate, covered with flat scutes". Under the previously described taxonomic viewpoint, I would say there is a good chance this animal is a Chamaeleo dilepis of the "isabellinus form" (what some authors would simply call Chamaeleo dilepis isabellinus).
It definitely is a beautiful animal, one of the nicest flap-neckeds I've seen.
Chris
Given that it appears your reliable sources that trump everyone else's thoughts can't tell you what subspecies of flap-necked chameleon you have, you might want to entertain at least considering the thoughts of others. While having an animal in hand and/or seeing it in person often provides information to base identification and sexing decisions off of that are more difficult with photographs, I have to agree with the other experienced individuals in this thread who have indicated that your flap-necked could very well be a female. It does not have as enlarged of a tail base as you would expect in a male and may even be starting to produce eggs given it's shape. We could be wrong of course but I definitely think its a reasonable thought.
Regarding it's subspecies identification, the taxonomy of the "flap-necked chameleons" is rather ambiguous and will vary considerably depending on who you ask. The working list of species that has been being used within the IUCN/SSC's Chameleon Specialist Group (CSG) for the Red List assessments, etc., largely follows the views published in Tilbury's recent book "Chameleons of Africa". In it, many of the previously classified subspecies, some of which authors such as Petr Necas have regarded as full species over the last 15 years or so, are lumped back with Ch. dilepis as "variants" due to inconsistent morphological variations between them, lack of genetic support, etc. Now, in reviewing the original description of Ch. dilepis isabellinus (Günther, 1893), I would say your animal in consistent with this form given the following portion of the description: "Occipital lobes large, elongate, covered with flat scutes". Under the previously described taxonomic viewpoint, I would say there is a good chance this animal is a Chamaeleo dilepis of the "isabellinus form" (what some authors would simply call Chamaeleo dilepis isabellinus).
It definitely is a beautiful animal, one of the nicest flap-neckeds I've seen.
Chris
I read it all. lol. Does it have a nickname?
houseofchameleons
New Member
Thanks for all the input & in time we will know & I will be sure to post
