Little is known about chameleons in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Ivorian biologists have now confirmed the presence of various reptile species in one of the country’s national parks. For the first time, they have found Chamaeleo gracilis in Taï National Park, which matches its known range in West Africa.

Taï National Park is located in the southwest of Côte d’Ivoire in western Africa. The climate changes four times a year. From March to June there is a rainy season, in August it is dry, followed by a second rainy season in September and October and a second dry season from November to March. 40 areas, each 50 x 50 m in size, were surveyed. Of these, 18 were in primary forest (rainforest), seven in secondary vegetation with more shrubby growth, five in coffee or cocoa plantations, five in rubber tree plantations and five in rice fields. On each of 40 days, three researchers were in the demarcated areas for more than eight hours and visually scanned the surroundings for reptiles.

Chamaeleo gracilis was the only reptile observed exclusively in the rainforest. As is often the case with chameleons, a female was discovered laying eggs on the ground. The species was not found in secondary vegetation or agricultural landscapes.

First record of seven species of lizards in Taï National Park (South West, Côte d’Ivoire)
Kouadio Atta Léonard, Assemian N’guessan Emmanuel, Goly N’guessan Simplice, Keita Gaoussou, Tiédoué Manouhin Roland
International Journal of Zoological and Entomological Letters 2022, 2(2): 36-41
DOI: not available