Bradypodion occidentale (HEWITT, 1935)
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Bradypodion occidentale
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| Higher Taxa | Chamaeleonidae, Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Western Dwarf Chameleon G: Wüstenzwergchamäleon, Namaqua-Zwergchamäleon |
| Synonym | Lophosaura ventralis occidentalis HEWITT 1935: 297 Lophosaura ventralis — BROCK 1941 Bradypodion pumilum occidentale — KLAVER & BÖHME 1997 Bradypodion occidentale — NECAS 1999: 275 Bradypodion occidentale — TILBURY 2010: 290 |
| Distribution | Republic of South Africa (Little Namaqualand, W Great Namaqualand), SW Namibia Type locality: Namaqualand, Cape Province, S. Africa |
| Reproduction | ovoviviparous |
| Types | Holotype: SAM 933. |
| Diagnosis | Description: “This subspecies differs from the Grahamstown subspecies, now regarded as typical of ventralis, in the much stronger development of the anterior gular lobes, in the larger lateral tubercles of the body, and in the form of the c;asque posteriorly. The scaling of the sides of the body will probably be always sufficient to distinguish the two forms. The second gular lobe is largest, being somewhat folded up, but when flattened out is 1.5 times as broad as the orbit: the first lobe is subequal to the orbit in breadth, and the third rather small: the following lobes are all narrow. Dorsal crest of rather pointed tubercles, for the most part in continuous series: this crest extends well into the basal half of the tail, and is nearly in continuous series. About the middle of the flanks is a single row of large rounded flattened tubercles, not much separated from each other. A few scattered enlarged tubercles, but smaller than the above series, ventro-laterally. On each side of the throat a well defined line of slightly enlarged tubercles reaching nearly to the base of the forelimb. Head tubercles all well developed: on the snout they are large and subconical: the casque is continued well backwards, but the hinder portion behind the temporal crest is not nan-owed and laterally compressed as in ventralis but for some distance retains about the same width as in the temporal region. The South African Museum has six specimens referable to this subspecies; the type adult female, subadult female and four immature. In three of the immature specimens, the posterior portion of the casque is more triangular in outline than in the type, more pointed and rather shorter: but none of them are laterally compressed. The most anterior gular lobe is generally the largest. In one specimen from Port Nolloth, there is a more or less distinct double series of enlarged tubercles laterally: but the upper row is better defined and its tubercles considerably larger than those of the lower row-in typical ventralis of the Eastern Province two rows are normal, but the enlarged tubercles are much smaller than in occidentalis, and the two rows more discontinuous and more ill defined than in the latter” (from Hewitt 1935: 297). |
| Comment | Distribution: For a map see TOLLEY et al. (2004). |
| Etymology | Named after L :. occidens (occidentis > occident) place of the setting sun, west; -alis/is/e adjectival suffix: western, denoting the western distribution in South Africa and Namibia as compared with other Bradipodion species (Charles Klaver, pers. comm., 11 Jan 2023). |
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