Kinyongia mulyai

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.

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.

Etymology

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

Conservation

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