Four new chameleon species found on Mozambique's mountaintop 'sky islands'

Four new chameleon species found on Mozambique's mountaintop 'sky islands'

Tropical rainforest patches perched on isolated granite mountains in northern Mozambique have yielded four new species of sylvan chameleons, according to a new study by Prof. Krystal A. Tolley and Dr. Werner Conradie, recently published in Vertebrate Zoology. The new species have been named after animal behavior scientist and conservationist Jane Goodall, chemist Rosalind Franklin, and the concept of "vanishing," honoring scientific pioneers while sounding an alarm about disappearing habitats. The research reveals that each "sky island" harbors its own, previously unknown chameleon species and highlights the urgent need to conserve these fragile forest habitats.