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.
| Kinyongia mulyai | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Chamaeleonidae |
| Genus: | Kinyongia |
| Species: | K. mulyai
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| Binomial name | |
| Kinyongia mulyai Tilbury & Tolley, 2015
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Description edit
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 edit
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 edit
The species is named for Jules Mulya, who was an assistant on the March 2010 expedition that lead to its discovery.[2]
Conservation edit
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 edit
- ^ a b c Tolley, K.; Tilbury, C. (2015). "Kinyongia mulyai". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T75976903A75976914. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T75976903A75976914.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ a b Tilbury, Colin R.; Tolley, Krystal A. (2015-01-13). "Contributions to the herpetofauna of the Albertine Rift: Two new species of chameleon (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae) from an isolated montane forest, south eastern Democratic Republic of Congo". Zootaxa. 3905 (3): 345. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3905.3.2. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 25661215.
- ^ Frank Glaw and the Nomenclatures Specialist on the Animals Committee (CITES). "New species and other proposed taxonomic changes resulting from the new checklists for Chamaeleonidae species and the Phelsuma spp." Retrieved 2017-09-01.
- ^ Aebi, Adrian; Terzi, Lorenzo; Maier, Thomas (1 February 2017). "Commission Reg. (EU) No 2017/160 of 20 January 2017". Official Journal of the European Union. 60: L 27/49.