Trioceros hoehnelii
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (from a photograph by Frank Glaw, Jörn Köhler, Ted M. Townsend & Miguel Vences) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Trioceros hoehnelii, commonly known as von Höhnel's chameleon, the helmeted chameleon, and the high-casqued chameleon, is a species of chameleon, a lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is native to eastern Africa.
Both the specific name, hoehnelii, and one of the common names, "von Höhnel's chameleon", are in honor of Austrian explorer Ludwig von Höhnel (1857–1942). T. hoehnelii is found in Kenya and Uganda. T. hoehnelii is a small to medium-size chameleon, growing up to 10 inches (25.4 cm) in total length (including tail). Coloration is highly variable across its geographic range. During morning hours, it may be seen basking in the sunlight, almost completely black in color to capture heat energy from the sunlight. This species has a single horn on the rostrum, a serrated back crest, and a spiny throat crest. Males are typically larger than females with a larger casque, horn, and enlarged tail base.
Most chameleons in east Africa tend to be territorial and the high-casqued chameleon is no different. If males are placed together, they will hiss at each other, turn black, and inflate their bodies... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aberdare National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Downtown Aquarium, Houston | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Helmeted Chameleon sighting in Nairobi National Park on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th most-seen of the 13 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Helmeted Chameleon in Nairobi National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to September, the lowest months. That is one of Nairobi National Park's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain against 15 mm in July.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Helmeted 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.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Helmeted Chameleon sightings, Nairobi National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Aberdare National Park (Kenya, about 60%).
Same genus: Trioceros
The closest relatives of the Helmeted Chameleon that you can see in Nairobi National Park (genus Trioceros, Equatorial Chameleons) are Jackson's Chameleon (about 50%) and Side-striped Chameleon (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Helmeted Chameleon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Nairobi National Park (26 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
