Montane side-striped chameleon

Montane side-striped chameleon

Trioceros ellioti

Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (from a photograph by Frank Glaw, Jörn Köhler, Ted M. Townsend & Miguel Vences) · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Kigali

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

12 Verified sightings at Kigali
43 In all 3 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Montane side-striped chameleon

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.

The specific name, ellioti, is in honor of British botanist George Francis Scott Elliot. T. ellioti is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. 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.

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

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~30%
2 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~30%
3 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kigali 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~30%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Montane side-striped chameleon in Kigali?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Montane side-striped chameleon sighting in Kigali on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Montane side-striped chameleon in Kigali?

November

In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Montane side-striped chameleon in Kigali on a given day, against under 5% in June, August, October and December, the lowest months. That is one of Kigali's wettest months, with about 160 mm of rain against 30 mm in July.

What time of day is best to see a Montane side-striped chameleon?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Montane side-striped chameleon sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Where else can you see a Montane side-striped chameleon?

Only Kigali, in our data

Kigali is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Montane side-striped chameleon sightings: about 30% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.

Where does the Montane side-striped chameleon sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Montane side-striped chameleon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Kigali (12 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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