8:58am Tuesday 24th November 2009
A SCIENTIST from the region has discovered a new species of chameleon – while studying a different animal.
Dr Andrew Marshall, of York University, was in Tanzania to survey monkeys in the Magombera Forest.
He stumbled on to the chameleon as it was being eaten by a snake.
It has been officially named Kinyongia magomberae – the Magombera chameleon – in research published in the African Journal of Herpetology.
“Discovering a new species is a rare event, so to be involved in the identification and naming of this animal is very exciting,” he said.
“Chameleon species tend to be focused in small areas and, unfortunately, the habitat this one depends on, the Magombera Forest, is under threat.
“Hopefully, this discovery will support efforts to provide this area and others like it with greater protection.”
Dr Marshall, who is director of conservation science at the Flamingo Land theme park and zoo, in North Yorkshire, is leading a research project investigating changes in the Magombera Forest.
The forest is an important resource for people in the area and home to wildlife, including endangered red colobus monkeys.
The project combines research into the biology of the forest with education for local people on how to manage it in a more sustainable way.
The ultimate aim is to develop protected status for the forest and find alternative ways of meeting the needs of local communities.
He is co-author of the new study with researchers from the Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali, the South African National Biodiversity Institute, Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Stellenbosch.
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