Trioceros pfefferi (Tornier, 1900)

Ineich, Ivan, LeBreton, Matthew, Lhermitte-Vallarino, Nathaly, Abstract. - The, Laurent Chirio, Oku, Mount & Highlands, Bamenda, 2015, The reptiles of the summits of Mont Oku and the Bamenda Highlands, Cameroon *, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 108) 9 (2), pp. 15-38 : 19

Trioceros pfefferi (Tornier, 1900) (three specimens)

Material: MNHN-RA 2005.3396 ( Mboh village , 6.327°N and 10.348°E, elev. 1,900 m, coll. CamHerp M. LeBreton and L. Chirio, July 8, 2002) – MNHN-RA 2007.1499 (male; Mt. Oku , Afua , Ijim Forest, western side of Mt. Oku, 6.15°N and 10.40°E, elev. 2,000 m, coll. CamHerp L. Chirio, June 1st, 2000) – MNHN-RA 2007.1500 (female; Bali Ngemba Forest Reserve , 5.825°N and 10.087°E, elev. 1,400 m, coll. CamHerp L. Chirio, June 6, 2000) .

This endemic species of the Cameroon Volcanic Dorsal is a typical inhabitant of the wet stations of the western sub-montane forest in the country. It is rare throughout its distribution and was only known from its original description from Nyassosso at Mt. Kupe for nearly a century ( Wild 1993). It is found at Mt. Manengouba, and in the BH and Mt. Oku where it reaches almost 2,000 m above sea level. Densities seem higher in populations at Mt. Kupe ( Hofer et al. 2003). Altitudinal distribution of the species ranges from 1,200 –1,500 m ( Schuetze 1998) and 1,100 –1,900 m according to Tilbury (2010); the species is reported between 1,100 and 1,900 m from Mt. Kupe by Anderson and Van Heygen (2013). Captive females lay between six and nine eggs ( Schuetze 1998).

The species is also present at Mt. Nlonako, very close to Mt. Manengouba. T. pfefferi has horns (males only), but its phylogenetic affinities are closer to the hornless species of the T. wiedersheimi group than to other Cameroon species ( T. montium and T. quadricornis ), indicating that the presence of horns has evolved several times within the genus Trioceros .

Its distribution is comparable to that of the T. perreti / T. serratus / T. wiedersheimi group and the T. quadricornis group (T. q. quadricornis , T. q. gracilior, and T. q. eisentrauti ). These two groups of related taxa each have an endemic taxon in the Manengouba area, another in the BH and a third endemic in a peripheral region (to the north and west respectively). The populations of T. pfefferi recently discovered at Mbulu Hills and Ediango to the north ( Gonwouo et al. 2006) should therefore be carefully compared with the more southern populations to assess their taxonomic status. Like other submontane and montane species from Cameroon, T. pfefferi occupies only medium and high mountain areas with wet, mainly pristine evergreen forests, often near streams ( Jakubowicz and Van Tiggel 1998). It perches at heights between 1.6 m and 2.1 m ( Herrmann et al. 2005), 7 m at Mt. Kupe, and 3.5 to 5.0 m at Manengouba ( Anderson and Van Heygen 2013). The species is threatened on Mt. Manengouba by both logging and collecting for the pet trade.