Trioceros ellioti, also known commonly as Elliot's chameleon, Elliot's groove-throated chameleon, and the montane side-striped chameleon, is a species of lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is indigenous to Africa.

Etymology

The specific name, ellioti, is in honor of British botanist George Francis Scott Elliot.

Geographic range

T. ellioti is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of T. ellioti include forest, savanna, shrubland, and grassland, at altitudes of 1,200–1,800 m (3,900–5,900 ft). It has also been found in disturbed areas such as plantations, gardens, and open fields.

Reproduction

The mode of reproduction of T. ellioti has been described as viviparous and as ovoviviparous.

Further reading

  • de Witte G-F (1922). "Description de reptiles nouveaux du Congo Belge". Revue de Zoologie Africaine 10 (2): 66–71 + Plates I–II. ("Chamaeleon Bequaerti ", new species, pp. 69–70 + Plate II, figure 1). (in French).
  • Günther A (1895). "Notice of Reptiles and Batrachians collected in the Eastern Half of Tropical Africa". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Sixth Series 15: 523–529 + Plate XXI. ("Chamæleon Ellioti ", new species, pp. 524–525 + Plate XXI, figure A).
  • Spawls S, Howell K, Hinkel H, Menegon (2018). Field Guide to East African Reptiles, Second Edition. London: Bloomsbury Natural History. 624 pp. ISBN 978-1472935618. (Trioceros ellioti, p. 286).
  • Tilbury CR, Tolley KA (2009). "A re-appraisal of the systematics of the African genus Chamaeleo (Reptilia: Chamaeleonidae)". Zootaxa 2079: 57–68. (Trioceros ellioti, new combination, p. 60).