???? Rhampholeon – Definition and Explanations

2023-08-20 09:38:13

Introduction

Rhampholeon Classification Règne Animalia Embranchement Chordata Sous-embr. Vertebrata Classe Reptilia Ordre Squamata Famille Chamaeleonidae Genre Rhampholeon
Günther, 1874

The Rhampholeon or Dwarf Chameleons form a genus of chameleons whose species are found from Africa (covering an area of ​​30,221,532 km2 including the islands,…) from East to West Africa (The west is a cardinal point, opposite to the east. This is the direction towards which…).

The name of this genus, Rhampholeon, comes from the Greek ramph, beak (A beak, in the strict sense, is an external anatomical structure that allows food intake and…), and from leo, lion (The lion (Panthera leo) is a carnivorous mammal of the Felidae family of the genus …), meaning chameleon, or “beaked chameleons”.

Their common name dwarf chameleons comes from the relatively small size of many species, most of which are less than 10 centimeters including the tail. They share this common name with species of the genus Brookesia, their equivalent on the island (An island is an area of ​​land surrounded by water, whether that water is that of a stream, a… ) of Madagascar (Madagascar (Madagasikara in Malagasy), or the Republic of Madagascar (Repoblikan’i…), and with species of the genus Rieppeleon which includes species previously classified in this genus (see List of species).

Habitat

These reptiles mostly live on or near the ground, although there are some exceptions. They live in regions of humid and dense forests, with generally mild temperatures. However, there are a few exceptions, with some species living in drier and more open environments. Those living in areas with a summer that is too hot or dry “hibernate” while waiting for the return of milder weather.
The fragmentation of their habitat by human activities makes its populations fragile, both by the reduction of their distribution surface and by the impossibility of moving or mixing (fragmentation of the distribution of the same species).

List of species

Rhampholeon acuminatus Mariaux et Tilbury, 2006 Rhampholeon beraduccii Mariaux et Tilbury, 2006 Rhampholeon boulengeri Steindachner, 1911 Rhampholeon chapmanorum Tilbury, 1992 Rhampholeon marshalli Boulenger, 1906 Rhampholeon moyeri Menegon, Salvidio et Tilbury, 2002 Rhampholeon nchisiensis (Loveridge, 1953) Rhampholeon platyceps Günther, 1893 Rhampholeon spectrum (Buchholz, 1874) Rhampholeon spinosus (Matschie, 1892) Rhampholeon temporalis (Matschie, 1892) Rhampholeon uluguruensis Tilbury et Emmrich, 1996 Rhampholeon viridis Mariaux et Tilbury, 2006

The species (In the life sciences, the species (from the Latin species, “type”) Rhampholeon gorongosae Broadley, 1971 is no longer recognized and is now considered a subspecies of Rhampholeon marshalli under the name of Rhampholeon marshalli gorongosae (Matthee et al., 2004).

Several species of this genus were moved to a genus created specifically in 2004, Rieppeleon (Matthee, Tilbury & Townsend, 2004). These are the species R. brachyurus, R. brevicaudatus and R. kerstenii.

Description

They are small animals, the largest species barely exceeding 15 centimeters (Rhampholeon spinosus) and the smallest being less than 5 centimeters including the tail (Rhampholeon uluguruensis). The majority of species are under 10 centimeters, with males generally smaller than females.
The body is laterally flattened, leaf-shaped, with very thin limbs. The tail is short, stocky, almost non-prehensile.

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