Rieppeleon


Rieppeleon is a genus of small, typically brown chameleons found in forests and savannas in East Africa. Member species are found at low levels in bushes, or on the ground among grass or leaf litter.

Etymology

The genus Rieppeleon was named after Swiss-born American herpetologist Olivier Rieppel.

Taxonomy

Until recently, the species in the genus Rieppeleon were commonly included in the genus Rhampholeon instead.

Species

The following species are recognized as being valid.
ImageScientific nameCommon nameDistribution
Rieppeleon brachyurus beardless pygmy chameleonMalawi, Mozambique, and southeastern Tanzania.
Rieppeleon brevicaudatus bearded pygmy chameleoneastern Usambara and Uluguru Mountains in northeastern Tanzania and Kenya
Rieppeleon kerstenii Kenya pygmy chameleoneastern Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and northeastern Tanzania

Nota bene: A binomial authority, or trinomial authority, in parentheses indicates that the species, or subspecies, was originally described in a genus other than Rieppeleon.