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New species of chameleon discovered in Tanzania

By Assam News on November 23, 2009 at 1:19 pm

A new species of chameleon has been discovered in the Magombera Forest of Tanzania by a team of scientists. The new species has been named Kinyongia magomberae (the Magombera chameleon). The discovery has been reported in a study published in volume 58(2) of the African Journal of Herpetology.

Kinyongia magomberae Dr Andrew Marshall, from the Environment Department at the University of York, first spotted the animal while surveying monkeys in the Magombera Forest when he disturbed a twig snake eating one. The specimen was collected, tested and compared to two others found by scientists in the same area and has now been named Kinyongia magomberae (the Magombera chameleon) in research published in the African Journal of Herpetology.

Dr Marshall is co-author of the study alongside researchers from the Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali, the South African National Biodiversity Institute, Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Stellenbosch. Dr Marshall hopes that this discovery will support efforts to provide this area and others like it with greater protection.

Dr Marshall, who is also Director of Conservation Science at the Flamingo Land theme park and zoo, is leading a research project investigating changes in the Magombera Forest. The forest is an important resource for people in the area and home to wildlife, including endangered red colobus monkeys. The project combines research into the biology of the forest with education for local people on how to manage it in a more sustainable way. The ultimate aim is to develop protected status for the forest and find alternative ways of meeting the needs of local communities.

Source: University of York (http://www.york.ac.uk)



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