Chamaeleo dilepis Leach, 1871

Sánchez-Vialas, Alberto, Calvo-Revuelta, Marta & Riva, Ignacio De La, 2022, Synopsis of the terrestrial Reptiles of Equatorial Guinea, Zootaxa 5202 (1), pp. 1-197 : 24-25

Chamaeleo dilepis Leach, 1871

Figure 4B

Chamaeleo dilepis Leach, 1819: 493 . Type locality: not directly stated in the original description, but according to the content of the article should be within the region formerly known as French Congo [currently could be located at Republic of the Congo fide Tilbury (2010) or Gabon fide Uetz et al. (2022) and Main et al. (2022)].

Chamaeleo bilobus Kuhl, 1820: 104 . Type locality: “Congo”, French Congo (= Republic of the Congo).

Chamaeleo planiceps Merrem, 1820: 162 . Type locality: Africa.

Chamaeleon petersii Gray, 1865a: 470 . Type locality: Mozambique.

Chamaeleo petersii var. kirkii Gray, 1865b . Type locality: East Africa.

Chamaeleo dilepis kirkii (Gray, 1865) : Loveridge 1954.

Chamaeleo capellii Bocage, 1866a: 42 . Type locality: Benguela, Angola.

Chamaeleo angusticoronatus Barbour, 1903: 61 . Type locality: Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Chamaeleon ruspolii Boettger, 1893: 116 . Type locality: Ogaden Plateau, Somaliland.

Chamaeleon isabellinus Günther, 1893: 556 . Type locality: Shire highlands, Malawi.

Chamaeleo dilepis ruspolii Boettger, 1893 : Parker 1942: 79.

Chamaeleo dilepis idjwiensis Loveridge, 1942: 363 . Type locality: Upper Mulinga River, Idjwi Island, lake Kivu, Belgian Congo ( Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Chamaeleo dilepis isabellinus Günther, 1893 : Lönnberg 1911: 19.

Chamaeleo dilepis martensi Mertens, 1964b: 113 . Type locality: Pemba Island, Tanzania.

Chamaeleo dilepis petersii Gray, 1865 : Loveridge 1953: 186.

Chamaeleo dilepis var. quilensis Bocage, 1866a: 42 . Type locality: Rio Quilo (north of Cabinda).

Chamaeleon parvilobus Boulenger, 1887: 449 . Type locality: Natal , Gaboon … Cameroon.

Chamaeleon roperi Boulenger, 1890: 85 . Type locality: Kilifi, north of Mombasa, Kenya.

Chamaeleon dilepis var. roperi Boulenger, 1890 : Werner 1902: 343.

Distribution. Widely distributed across Africa. It ranges through Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, from Cameroon to Somalia and southward to South Africa. In Equatorial Guinea it has been recorded in Río Muni ( Tilbury 2010) at Cabo San Juan ( Boulenger 1905), Monte Alén National Park ( Lasso et al. 2002), Bata, Cogo and from Río Campo to Río Benito (Pérez del Val 2001). The records of C. gracilis from Río Muni (Monte Alén National Park and Cabo San Juan) ( Boulenger 1905; Lasso et al. 2002) are herein regarded as C. dilepis (see comments) ( Map 4A ).

Comments. The identity of some published records of the genus Chamaeleo for Equatorial Guinea requires confirmation due to possible misidentifications between C. dilepis and C. gracilis .This latter species usually occurs in savanna habitats, except for some forest populations in the southern part of its range (which belong to the subspecies C. gracilis etiennei Schmidt, 1919 ). The range of C. gracilis overlaps with that of C. dilepis at the South and East of its distribution, but they can be morphologically distinguished by the presence and extension of the occipital lobes, and by the development of the parietal crest. Chamaeleo gracilis lacks occipital lobes or if present, they are very small and immobile, and shows the parietal crest weakly marked. In contrast, C. dilepis shows the occipital lobes well developed and the parietal crest is more distinct than in C. gracilis ( Tilbury 2010) . All the specimens examined by us in this study (N=70) present the occipital lobes well developed, surpassing the posterior border of the helmet, with a distinctive parietal crest. These examined traits are congruent with those of C. dilepis . Boulenger (1905) recorded C. gracilis based on the MNCN specimens collected by M. Martínez de la Escalera in Cabo San Juan, Río Muni. These series of specimens were examined by us and all of them show the mentioned diagnostic traits for C. dilepis . This is noteworthy, as on the other hand, Boulenger (1887) described and figured Chamaeleon parvilobus (currently a synonym of C. dilepis ) (plate XXXIX, fig. 5) based on specimens from Natal, Gabon and Cameroon with identical head traits to those of the specimens examined by us from Río Muni. Additionally, the published records of C. gracilis for Monte Alén in Río Muni ( Lasso et al. 2002) (some of them housed in the EBD) are herein re-identified and regarded as C. dilepis ( Figure 4B ). In this sense, we remove C. gracilis from the species list of Río Muni. Chamaeleo dilepis is a widespread species complex pending of a deep revisionary work (Klaver & Böhme 1986; Tilbury 2010; Main et al. 2018, 2022). Specimen MNCN 5121 was misidentified as C. senegalensis Daudin, 1802 (Pérez del Val 2001). This specimen was examined and re-identified as C. dilepis .

Specimens examined. Seventy specimens. Río Muni: San Joaquín de Ndyiacom, 1990 ( EBD 31509 for eight specimens), 1 August 1986 ( EBD 24987–24993 ) ; Asonga, 23 October 1988 ( EBD 27676) ; Asonga, Bata, 06 November 1984 ( EBD 18373) ; Río Muni, without specific locality ( EBD, no numbered, collector number for the three specimens: B3338, B3230); Dogo, 15 km East of Bata , 14 June 1964 ( EBD 2722 ) ; 3 km North of Bata , 24 June 1964 ( EBD 2726 ) ; Airport of Bata , 16 October 1965 ( EBD 2728 ) ; Yengue, Río Muni, 08 July 1964 ( EBD 2723 ) ; Macoriza, Ayamiken, Río Muni, 20 July 1964 ( EBD 2724 ) ; Bata, 17 October 1965 ( EBD 2729 ) , 29 November 1985 ( EBD 20815–20816 ) , 07 June 1986 ( EBD 20815) , 1965 ( EBD 2727 ) , 06 November 1984 ( EBD 18375–18377 ) , 05 October 1984 ( EBD 18382) , no date ( MNCN 5103 ) ; Surroundings of Bata , 23 April 1985 ( EBD 20813–20814 ) ; Mbini, 02 October 1984 (EBD 18374, EBD 18379) ; Ncoaben (=Ncoeakieñ), from Bata to Movo ( EBD 18378) ; 16 km from Niefang, 26 October 1984 ( EBD 18380) ; from Mbini to Bata, Km 3, 26 August 1984 ( EBD 18391) ; From Djovo to Bata, Km 19, 10 June 1984 ( EBD 18392) ; Alosa to Niefang, 11 July 1985 ( EBD 18587–18588 ) ; Bata, 14 July 1984 ( EBD 18589) ; Alene Samtua, Niefang, 29 June 1984 ( EBD 18590–18592 ) ; Miboman, Km 27, 03 July 1984 ( EBD 18593) ; Alosa-Niefang, 09 July 1984 ( EBD 18594) ; Nam-elon, Km 13 from Bata to Miboban , 17 July 1984 ( EBD 18595–18596 ) ; Miboman, Km 27 from Bata to Movo, 21 June 1984 ( EBD 18622) , 01 September 1984 ( EBD 18675) , no date ( EBD 18389) ; Colegio de la Salle, Bata , January 1965 ( EBD 2725 ) ; San Joaquín de Ndyiacom , 1990 ( EBD 31501_B-8389); Río Muni, without specific locality, 1963 ( EBD 0273 ) , July 1891 ( MNCN 5094 ) , no date ( MNCN 5098 , MNCN 5102 , MNCN 5107–5111 ) ; from Río Campo to Río Benito, 1885 ( MNCN 5095–5096 ) ; Kogo, Río Muni, August 1940 ( MNCN 5121 ) .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Live specimens of some reptiles from Monte Alén National Park, Río Muni. A) Trioceros cristatus. B) Chamaeleo dilepis. C) Trachylepis affinis. D) Panaspis breviceps. E) Agama lebretoni. F) Pelusios gabonensis. G) Kinixis erosa, adult specimen. H) Kinixis erosa, juvenile specimen. Photos: IDlR.

MAPS 4 A–C. Distribution maps for Equatorial Guinean records of (A) Chamaeleo dilepis; (B) Rhampholeon spectrum; (C) Trioceros chapini.