Chamaeleo dilepis Leach, 1819

Santos, Bruna S., Marques, Mariana P., Bauer, Aaron M. & Ceríaco, Luis M. P., 2021, Herpetological results of Francisco Newton’s Zoological Expedition to Angola (1903 – 1906): a taxonomic revision and new records of a forgotten collection, Zootaxa 5028 (1), pp. 1-80 : 26

Chamaeleo dilepis Leach, 1819

Material (two specimens): One adult specimen (MHNCUP/REP 297, formerly UP-MHNFCP-052204), collected from unknown locality, date unknown; one adult female specimen (MHNCUP/REP 303, formerly UP-MHNFCP- 094977; Fig. S47 ), collected from Mossamedes [=Moçâmedes] [-15.20000º, 12.15000º, 24 m a.s.l.] Namibe Province, in 1905 .

Comments: Chamaeleo dilepis is a species complex with a very widespread distribution throughout Africa and a particularly homogenous phenotype, with eight recognized subspecies ( Tilbury 2018; Main 2019a). Angolan records of C. dilepis have historically been referred to as C. dilepis quilensis , a form described by Bocage from “Rio Quilo” ( Cabinda) ( Bocage 1866; Marques et al. 2018; Tilbury 2018). Recent molecular results presented by Main (2019a) and Main et al. (2019b) suggest the presence of three candidate species within C. dilepis . Clade 1 is presumed to occur in most of Angola, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and southern Congo; Clade 2 covers Tanzania east towards southern Angola and western Namibia, south to northwestern Republic of South Africa and west to Mozambique and finally Clade 3 is expected to populate northern Tanzania and the borderlands with Uganda and Kenya. Given that “ Congo ”, the type locality of C. dilepis , is comprised within the expected range for Clade 1, we can infer it corresponds to C. dilepis and as such, so do the Angolan specimens, including the putative subspecies C. dilepis quilensis . Clade 2 seemingly occurs in southernmost Angola, not including Moçâmedes. Given this, the specimen we have locality data for most likely belongs to Clade 1 and should be referred to as C. dilepis . Neither of the extant specimens were published by Ferreira (1904, 1906).

Figures

FIGURE S47. Specimen of Chamaeleo dilepis (MHNCUP/REP 303), from Moçâmedes. Photo by Bruna Santos.