NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Mulanje sylvan chameleon
Nadzikambia mlanjensis (Broadley, 1965)
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.
Aire de répartition de l’espèce Nadzikambia mlanjensis.
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Open encyclopedia reference
The Mlanje Mountain chameleon (Nadzikambia mlanjensis) is one of two species in the genus Nadzikambia (derived from the species' name in Chichewa). It is a plesiomorphic, small chameleon from the Ruo Gorge forest on Mount Mulanje in Malawi.
Initially placed into Chamaeleo, it was for some time moved to the South African dwarf chameleons (Bradypodion) by some (Klaver & Böhme, 1986). This was criticized because plesiomorphies cannot be used to define clades, and eventually turned out to be in error.
Wikipedia contributors, Mlanje Mountain chameleon; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T10:53:38.593578+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Nadzikambia mlanjensis (Broadley, 1965)
- Name authority
- (Broadley, 1965)
- Common name
- Mulanje sylvan chameleon
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Chamaeleonidae
- Genus
- Nadzikambia
- 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
- genusNadzikambia
- speciesNadzikambia mlanjensis (Broadley, 1965)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Nadzikambia. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Mabu sylvan chameleonNadzikambia baylissi Branch & Tolley, 2010 | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Chiperone sylvan chameleonNadzikambia nubila Tolley & Conradie, 2026 | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Ribáuè sylvan chameleonNadzikambia goodallae Tolley & Conradie, 2026 | ChamaeleonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Inago sylvan chameleonNadzikambia evanescens Tolley & Conradie, 2026 | 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 mlanjense Broadley, 1965 Broadley, 1965 | 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=Nadzikambia&species=mlanjensis 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:744VD. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.