New Species - Trioceros nyirit

[Chris Anderson]

I thought I'd let everyone know that a new chameleon species was just described from the Cherangani Hills and Mtelo massif of northwestern Kenya. It is a member of the Trioceros bitaeniatus group, most closely related to T. schubotzi, and is morphologically similar to T. hoehnelii and T. narraioca. It lives mainly in the Pokot tribal area and has been named Trioceros nyirit after the Pokot name for chameleon (nyirit).

This species looks very similar to T. hoehnelii and T. narraioca, except its parietal crest does not curve as much to form a domed helmet but is straighter, more similar to T. sternfeldi. They have a rostral protuberance similar to that of T. hoehnelii and T. narraioca but it projects more forward than upward. Males of this new species are overall a bright green color with the dorsal crest, head crests and rostral protuberance ranging in color from red to black.

Here is the reference to the paper:

Stipala, J., Lutzmann, N., Malonza, P. K., Borghesio, L., Wilkinson, P., Godley, B., Evans, M. R. (2011). A new species of chameleon (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae) from the highlands of northwest Kenya. Zootaxa 3002, 1-16.

The fist page of the description can be downloaded here: http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2011/f/z03002p016f.pdf

Chris

 

[VeiledChams]

Thanks Chris, if you get your hands on a picture, please post it.

 

[Chris Anderson]

There are a couple photos in the full description but I can't post them because of copyright restrictions.

Chris

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Very cool, thanks for posting the paper! Going into the references folder.

 

[Alb123]

I think I've got one of those t. Nyirit by accident. I had ordered a pair of t. Rudis but they came as a male t. Sternfeldi and a male t. Nyirit. :/

 

[paulkaranik]

awesome. mahalo

 

[Chase]

I think I've got one of those t. Nyirit by accident. I had ordered a pair of t. Rudis but they came as a male t. Sternfeldi and a male t. Nyirit. :/

Would you upload a photo?

 

[bobcochran]

Chase, look in chameleon identification under "can you tell me what these are?"

 

[Alb123]

Here's some photos

 

[Chase]

Based on your pictures, and the photos in Jan Stipala's "Mountain Dragons", I do not suspect that to be a Trioceros nyirit. Trioceros nyirit possess gular crests, such as T. hoehnelii

However, maybe I am wrong; Chris will know the answer!

Chase

 

[CarlC]

The photo is of a Trioceros sternfeldi.

Carl

 

[Chris Anderson]

Definitely not T. nyirit, Alb123. I've posted more information in your other thread: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/can-anyone-tell-me-what-these-are.145147/#post-1230795

Chris

 

[kinyonga]

Apparently there's a photo in this book...
http://www.onlinereptileshop.co.uk/...ya-Jan-Stipala-7261.html#sthash.3gpPq06a.dpbs

 

[Chris Anderson]

Someone posted a photo of this species here: http://s017.radikal.ru/i437/1110/0d/37b18adc9ec9.jpg

Chris

 

[Alb123]

That thing sure look very similar to my mystery Cham.

 

[Chris Anderson]

Nope, definitely not T. nyirit. In addition to lacking the strong dorsal crest, T. nyirit is endemic to a very remote area in Kenya. Kenya does not allow collection of its chameleons for export. They allow a limited amount of farmed species out, but T. nyirit is not one they farm.

Chris

 

[Alb123]

Ok one last pic of the weirdo.

 

[Chris Anderson]

Yeah. Definitely aligns with T. sternfeldi.

Chris