Pygmy chameleons of the Rhampholeon platyceps compex (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae): Description of four new species from isolated ‘sky islands’ of northern Mozambique

A groundbreaking study identifies four new species of pygmy chameleons (Rhampholeon) from isolated 'sky islands' in northern Mozambique, significantly expanding the known biodiversity of the region. These discoveries—Rhampholeon maspictus, Rhampholeon nebulauctor, Rhampholeon tilburyi, and Rhampholeon bruessoworum—are supported by morphological and phylogenetic analyses using mitochondrial and nuclear markers. The research clarifies taxonomic confusion around the Rhampholeon platyceps complex, confirming its endemism to the Mulanje massif in southern Malawi while reassigning historical records. Additionally, it resolves the synonymy of Brookesia platyceps carri with Rhampholeon platyceps. The study also sheds light on the evolutionary relationships between Mozambican and southern Malawi chameleons, linking them to species from Tanzania and Malawi within the subgenus Rhinodigitum.

BRANCH, W. R., BAYLISS, J., & TOLLEY, K. A. (2014). Pygmy chameleons of the Rhampholeon platyceps compex
(Squamata: Chamaeleonidae): Description of four new species
from isolated ‘sky islands’ of northern Mozambique. Zootaxa, 3814(1). https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3814.1.1