Nadzikambia (derived from their name in Chichewa) is a genus of chameleons. It includes two species of small, plesiomorphic chameleons from the Ruo Gorge forest on Mount Mulanje in Malawi and Mount Mabu in Mozambique.
Initially only a single species was recognized and placed in 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. In 2006, it was moved to its own genus Nadzikambia.Tolley, Krystal A.; Tilbury, Colin R. & Branch, William R. (2004): Phylogenetics of the southern African dwarf chameleons, Bradypodion (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 30: 354–365. PDF fulltext In 2010, the second species of Nadzikambia was described. (2010): A new species of chameleon (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae: Nadzikambia) from Mount Mabu, central Mozambique. Afr. J. Herpetol. 59(2): 157–172
Species Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Nadzikambia baylissi Mount Mabu chameleon Mount Mabu in Mozambique. Nadzikambia evanescens Nadzikambia franklinae Nadzikambia goodallae Nadzikambia mlanjensis Mlanje Mountain chameleon Mount Mulanje in Malawi. Nadzikambia nubila
References
Further reading
Klaver, C.J.J. & Böhme, W. (1986): Phylogeny and classification of the Chamaeleonidae (Sauria) with special reference to hemipenis morphology. Bonner Zoologische Monographien 22: 1–64. Tolley, Krystal A.; Tilbury, Colin R. & Branch, William R. (2007): Corrections to species names recently placed in Kinyongia and Nadzikambia (Reptilia: Chamaeleonidae). Zootaxa 1426: 68.