Jackson's Chameleon
Jackson's chameleon (Trioceros jacksonii) is a three-horned chameleon from the highlands of Kenya and Tanzania. Males have long horns on the head, which they use to joust, and it gives birth to live young.
Jackson's chameleon (Trioceros jacksonii) is a three-horned chameleon from the highlands of Kenya and Tanzania. Males have long horns on the head, which they use to joust, and it gives birth to live young.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Jackson's Chameleon in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Reptilia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Horns for Jousting
Two males face each other on a branch and try to push or lever one another off with their horns. Females are hornless or have only small bumps.
Live Birth
Unlike most chameleons, Jackson's chameleon gives birth to live young, an adaptation to cool mountain climates. A female can bear up to three dozen babies.
Introduced to Hawaii
Released pets established populations in Hawaii, where they feed on native insects and snails. See Veiled Chameleon.
Jackson's Chameleon at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Trioceros jacksonii |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Squamata |
| Family | Chamaeleonidae |
| Field Guide group | Reptilia (Reptiles) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | East African montane arboreal lizard whose males bear three prominent keratinized facial horns (one rostral and two prefrontal), zygodactylous grasping feet, independently rotating turret eyes, and a ballistic projectile tongue. |
| IUCN Red List status | Least Concern (LC), assessed 2014 |
| Family | Chamaeleonidae |
| Reproduction | Live birth |
See Also
- Veiled Chameleon — an egg-laying chameleon
- Green Iguana — another introduced lizard