Trioceros ellioti
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (from a photograph by Frank Glaw, Jörn Köhler, Ted M. Townsend & Miguel Vences) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~80%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 2 | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kigali | 🇷🇼 Rwanda |
No species of the same family or order lives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Montane side-striped chameleon sighting in Queen Elizabeth National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 7 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Montane side-striped chameleon in Queen Elizabeth National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–March, May and September–October, the lowest months. That is one of Queen Elizabeth National Park's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain against 15 mm in January.
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.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Montane side-striped chameleon sightings, Queen Elizabeth National Park ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Kibale National Park (Uganda, about 30%) and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Uganda, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Montane side-striped chameleon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Queen Elizabeth National Park (9 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.
