Trioceros rudis
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (from a photograph by Frank Glaw, Jörn Köhler, Ted M. Townsend & Miguel Vences) · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The coarse chameleon (Trioceros rudis), also known as the rudis chameleon, Ruwenzori side-striped chameleon or the Rwenzori bearded chameleon, is a chameleon from western Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo. Contrary to common belief, this species does not inhabit Mount Meru, Tanzania. Tanzania chameleons called T. rudis are in fact T. sternfeldi.
This chameleon is often found in open habitats, inhabiting low bushes and shrubs (often described as 'patchy open country") in the transitional zones between grasslands, reedbeds and montane heath. T. rudis is small (10 to 15 cm (3.9 to 5.9 in)) and lacks horns or occipital lobes. It has a long tail and a small crest.
Chamaeleo rudis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database Chamaeleo Research Group [Japanese] Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Volcanoes National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 2 | Virunga National Park | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo |
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Coarse Chameleon sighting in Volcanoes National Park on a given day, based on 55 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, June–July and September
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Coarse Chameleon in Volcanoes National Park on a given day, against about 30% in November, the lowest month. Those are among Volcanoes National Park's driest months, with about 80 mm of rain a month against 250 mm in April.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Coarse Chameleon sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Coarse Chameleon sightings, Volcanoes National Park has the highest daily chance: about 80%. Next come Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 60%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Coarse Chameleon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Volcanoes National Park (55 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.
