NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Coarse Chameleon
Trioceros rudis (Boulenger, 1906)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Rough chameleon (Trioceros rudis), Near Mount Karisimbi, Rwanda. Chameleon was moved from a bush, so is recolouring.
Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The coarse chameleon (Trioceros rudis), also known as the rudis chameleon, Ruwenzori side-striped chameleon or the Rwenzori bearded chameleon, is a chameleon from western Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo. Contrary to common belief, this species does not inhabit Mount Meru, Tanzania. Tanzania chameleons called T. rudis are in fact T. sternfeldi.
This chameleon is often found in open habitats, inhabiting low bushes and shrubs (often described as 'patchy open country") in the transitional zones between grasslands, reedbeds and montane heath.
T. rudis is small (10 to 15 cm (3.9 to 5.9 in)) and lacks horns or occipital lobes. It has a long tail and a small crest.
Wikipedia contributors, Coarse chameleon; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T05:53:19.091844+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Trioceros rudis (Boulenger, 1906)
- Name authority
- (Boulenger, 1906)
- Common name
- Coarse Chameleon
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Chamaeleonidae
- Genus
- Trioceros
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderIguania
- familyChamaeleonidae
- genusTrioceros
- speciesTrioceros rudis (Boulenger, 1906)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Trioceros. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Ruppell's Desert ChameleonTrioceros affinis (Rüppell, 1845) | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Trioceros camerunensis (Müller, 1909) | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| South Sudanese Unicorn ChameleonTrioceros conirostratus (Tilbury, 1998) | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Crested ChameleonTrioceros cristatus (Stutchbury, 1837) | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Trioceros feae (Boulenger, 1906) | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| High-casqued ChameleonTrioceros hoehnelii (Steindachner, 1891) | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Ukinga hornless chameleonTrioceros incornutus (Loveridge, 1932) | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Ituri Forest ChameleonTrioceros ituriensis (Schmidt, 1919) | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Spiny-flanked chameleonTrioceros laterispinis (Loveridge, 1932) | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Mt Marsabit chameleonTrioceros marsabitensis (Tilbury, 1991) | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Perret’s ChameleonTrioceros perreti (Klaver & Böhme, 1992) | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Eisentraut’s Chameleon [eisentrauti]Trioceros quadricornis (Tornier, 1899) | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Chamaeleo bitaeniatus graueri Sternfeld, 1912 Sternfeld, 1912 | synonym |
| Chamaeleo burgeoni de Witte, 1933 de Witte, 1933 | synonym |
| Chamaeleon rudis Boulenger, 1906 Boulenger, 1906 | synonym |
| Chamaeleo bitaeniatus tornieri Sternfeld, 1912 Sternfeld, 1912 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Trioceros&species=rudis Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:58VR2. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.