Trioceros hoehnelii
Encyclopedia
Trioceros hoehnelli, commonly known as Von Hohnel's Chameleon, the Helmeted or High-casqued Chameleon, is a species of chameleon
found in eastern Africa, primarily Uganda
and Kenya
.
, a serrated back crest, and a spiny throat crest. Males are typically larger than females with a larger casque
, horn and enlarged tail base.
Most chameleons in east Africa
tend to be territorial and the High-casqued Chameleon is no different. If males are placed together, they will hiss at each other, turn black, and compress their bodies to make them look larger. Dominant males display brightly colored patterns that differ from females or subordinate males, which often persist until they are defeated during a courtship battle.
T. hoehnelli forms stable pair-bonds during mating season, which endure throughout the five months of pregnancy. After giving birth, the pair usually splits up.
The High-casqued Chameleon enjoys eating most small insects and spiders and does so by extending the tongue to capture the insect. They are capable of extending the tongue more than a complete body length.
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
found in eastern Africa, primarily Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
Identification
Trioceros hoehnelli is a small to medium size chameleon, growing up to 10 inches in total length. Coloration is highly variable across their range. During morning hours, this chameleon may be seen basking in the sunlight almost completely black in color in order to capture heat energy from the sunlight. This species has a single horn on the rostrumRostrum (anatomy)
The term rostrum is used for a number of unrelated structures in different groups of animals:*In crustaceans, the rostrum is the forward extension of the carapace in front of the eyes....
, a serrated back crest, and a spiny throat crest. Males are typically larger than females with a larger casque
Casque
Casque can refer to:* French word for helmet* An enlargement on the upper mandible of the bill of some species of birds, including many hornbills*Hornbill ivory: the casque of the Helmeted Hornbill, collected as a decorative material...
, horn and enlarged tail base.
Behavior
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
tend to be territorial and the High-casqued Chameleon is no different. If males are placed together, they will hiss at each other, turn black, and compress their bodies to make them look larger. Dominant males display brightly colored patterns that differ from females or subordinate males, which often persist until they are defeated during a courtship battle.
T. hoehnelli forms stable pair-bonds during mating season, which endure throughout the five months of pregnancy. After giving birth, the pair usually splits up.
The High-casqued Chameleon enjoys eating most small insects and spiders and does so by extending the tongue to capture the insect. They are capable of extending the tongue more than a complete body length.