Biology:Kinyongia mulyai

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Short description: Species of lizard

Kinyongia mulyai
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Chamaeleonidae
Genus: Kinyongia
Species:
K. mulyai
Binomial name
Kinyongia mulyai
Tilbury & Tolley, 2015
Kinyongia mulyai distribution.png

Kinyongia mulyai is a species of chameleons first described in 2015, endemic to the Nzawa forest regions of the south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Description

Kinyongia mulyai has an olive green head with light brown eyeballs, intersected by two thin horizontal stripes running through it. A small triangular area between the mouth line, nares and orbital rim is blue-green coloured. The throat region is pale orange and yellow, extending between the front limbs. Its body is predominantly olive green coloured with light green tubercles on the outside limbs.[2]

Distribution

The species is only known to occupy small, highly fragmented remnant of Afrotemperate forest on Mount Nzawa. It is found perching on vines ranging from a few meters high to up to 20 meters high. Recent satellite imagery show only 3 remaining suitable patches of habitable forest area.[1]

Etymology

The species is named for Jules Mulya, who was an assistant on the March 2010 expedition that lead to its discovery.[2]

Conservation

The species has been listed as CITES II/B and is labelled Critically Endangered by the IUCN.[1][3] EU Wildlife Trade Regulations list the species as annex B.[4]

References

Wikidata ☰ Q20054463 entry