Robertson Dwarf Chameleon

Taxobox
name = Robertson Dwarf Chameleon

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image_width = 240px
image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Reptilia
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Iguania
familia = Chamaeleonidae
genus = "Bradypodion"
species = "B. gutturale"
binomial = "Bradypodion gutturale"

The Robertson Dwarf Chameleon ("Bradypodion gutturale") is a chameleon in the genus "Bradypodion". It is endemic to South Africa, found only in a limited range in the south-central region of South Africa's Western Cape province. It prefers the fynbos vegetation, unlike some other species of dwarf chameleon that are forest dwellers. DNA evidence suggests that the Robertson may have diverged from the forest-dwellers several million years ago, coinciding with the retreat of the forests and the spread of fynbos.

Sources

* Tolley K. and Burger M. 2007. Chameleons of Southern Africa. Struik, Cape Town
* Tolley, K.A. et al. 2006. Biogeographic patterns and phylogeography of dwarf chameleons (Bradypodion) in an African biodiversity hotspot. Molecular Ecology 15:781-793.
* [http://wildcliff.org/research/dwarf_chameleon_project.html The Dwarf Chameleon Project at Wildcliff Nature Reserve]