Taxonomy

Animalia Chordata Vertebrata Reptilia Squamata Sauria Chamaeleonidae Kinyongia Kinyongia excubitor

Taxonomic notes: Accepted as Kinyongia excubitor in Tilbury et al. (2006, 2007).

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Geographic Range

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Present in south-east Aberdare Mountains (Kimakia) and the Nyambeni Hills (Kankaroi forest) - direct observations. Also recorded from Ngaia forest (NMK collection, collector: S. Spawls).

Posted by janstipala over 10 years ago
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Habitat

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I have surveyed forests on all sides of Mt. Kenya and the Aberdare Mountains and also a single locality in the Nyambeni Hills. Kinyongia excubitor is found in moist montane forest but not dry types of montane forest i.e. sclerophyll forests dominated by Podocarpus, Juniperus or Olea. On Mount Kenya K. excubitor was found below 2500m on the southern and eastern sloes between Ragati forest (south-west) and Meru forest (north east), always within forest or at the forest edge. I do not know if it occurs outside forests in shamba system agriculture. On the Aberdares we found K. excubitor at Kimakia fishing camp (2200m) on the south eastern slopes. In the Nyambeni Hills K. excubitor was found near Kangeta forest station in Kankaroi forest block (not sure if this is the correct spelling). A specimen was also collected from Ngaia forest, also in the Nyambeni HIlls - in the NMK collection in Nairobi.

Posted by janstipala over 10 years ago
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Population

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Use Trade

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No annual CITES export quotas for K. excubitor have been issued between 2000 and 2013 (CITES 2013) and there is no reported trade in this species between 1977 and 2011 (2012 and 2013 trade data is incomplete or unavailable) (UNEP-WCMC 2013). This species is not known to be present in the captive market, although illegal trade and/or harvest may occur on occasion.

References:

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). 2013. CITES Export Quotas. Available at: http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/quotas/index.php. (Accessed: 11 Aug 2013).
UNEP-WCMC. 2013. CITES Trade Database. Available at: http://www.unep-wcmc-apps.org/citestrade/expert_accord.cfm?CFID=50172297&CFTOKEN=72268891. (Accessed: 11 Aug 2013).

Posted by cvanderson over 10 years ago
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Threats

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I have heard that chameleons on the east side of Mount Kenya are collected from the forests and used as a cure for AIDS. There is no other information on the extent of this activity.
Regarding forest protection, the forests of Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountains are now under the combined management of the forestry department and KWS and not likely to suffer further enchroachment since damming reports in 2003 highlighted extensive forest degredation within these forest reserves due to a variety of anthropogenic activities. Although K. excubitor may have suffered significant range contraction due to earlier deforestation, its current distribution based on current forest cover, can now probably considered to be stable.

Posted by janstipala over 10 years ago
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Specific Threats

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    Conservation Actions

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    Specific Actions

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      Red List Rationale

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      Bibliography

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      Vanleeuwe, Woodley, Lambrecht's and Gachanja (2003) Change in the state of Mount Kenya forests 1999-2002. Interim report Feb 2003.

      Posted by janstipala over 10 years ago
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