Scientists have identified four new-to-science species of chameleons inhabiting four distinct, isolated mountains in northern Mozambique.
These mountains — Namuli, Inago, Chiperone, and Ribáuè —are granite inselbergs rising sharply from the arid savanna. They act as “sky islands” or ecological oases that have allowed unique species to evolve in isolation for millions of years.
The research team, led by herpetologists Krystal Tolley of the South African National Biodiversity Institute and the University of Johannesburg, alongside Werner Conradie from Port Elizabeth Museum, explored the inselbergs from 2014 to 2018 to survey the chameleons found there. Their analysis of the chameleons’ DNA and physical traits confirmed that each mountain harbors its own distinct species.
The newly described species are Nadzikambia franklinae, N. goodallae, N. nubila and N. evanescens.
Two of the chameleons’ names pay homage to women scientists: N. franklinae, found on Mount Namuli, is named after British chemist Rosalind Franklin, while N. goodallae, found on Mount Ribáuè, honors late conservation icon Jane Goodall.
The other two chameleons were named for their habitat and microclimate: N. nubila is named after the Latin nubilus, meaning cloudy, referring to the clouds that are key for the mid-elevation wet forest on Mount Chiperone. Meanwhile, the species name of N. evanescens means “vanishing” in Latin, to reflect the desperate state of its shrinking home on Mount Inago.
All four chameleons are forest specialists that live high in the canopy of primary rainforests, the researchers say. However, these reptiles are already in imminent danger of extinction due to widespread slash-and-burn clearing of the forests and their conversion to agriculture, the researchers write.
“They do not tolerate other vegetation types, and therefore cannot use the habitat that is converted to agriculture,” Tolley told Mongabay by email. “The result is direct mortality (during the slash and burn clearing) but also any surviving chameleons will no longer have a home … and will be quickly predated upon.”
Tolley added that forest loss across the mountains has consequences for the local human population as well, such as compromising water security by reducing cloud cover and rainfall and causing rivers to silt up. “While there is a short-term gain in terms of food production, in the longer term, the removal of forest causes more harm than reward,” she said.
The researchers note that the local communities around Mount Chiperone view it as holy, providing the forests there some level of community protection. This community-led stewardship likely gives N. nubila a lower risk of extinction compared to its sister species, the authors
Banner image of a female sylvan chameleon (Nadzikambia goodallae) from Mount Ribáuè. Image by Krystal Tolley (CC BY 4.0).
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