188 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
Series 4, Volume 64, No. 8 
Comments.— The date of description on 
the title page of Wilms and Bohme’s descrip¬ 
tion is given as “15. Januar 2001.” However, 
Wilms (2001) gave the year of publication of 
U. alfredschmidti as 2000, although citing the 
correct journal issue and page number for the 
description. The Libyan record of Wilms and 
Bohme (2001) is based on a photographic 
voucher. Sindaco et al. (2012) suggested sever¬ 
al records formerly associated with U. acan- 
thinura might be referable to U. alfredschmidti. 
This is the case for a specimen from Tamrit in 
the Tassili n’Ajjer (Joger 1981), and a speci¬ 
men reported by Frynta et al. (2000) is here 
likewise assumed to be U. alfredschmidti. 
However, due to damage to this last specimen 
Wilms and Bohme (2001) were unable to veri¬ 
fy its specific identity. Scortecci (1937a) noted 
the presence of a Uromastyx, presumably this 
species, as common in the Akakus Mountains. 
IUCN Threat Status.— Near Threatened. 
Libya. 
Family Chamaeleonidae 
Chamaeleo chamaeleon (Linnaeus, 1758:204) (Fig. 15) 
1758 Lacerta chamaeleon Linnaeus, Systema Naturas per Regna Tria Naturas, Secundum Classes, 
Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, refor- 
mata. Laurentii Salvii, Holmias [Stockholm], Sweden. (4) + 823 + (I) pp. 
Syntypes.— NRM 140, 141 fide Andersson (1900), UUZM 34, 93 fide Wallin (2001), “Africa, Asia,” 
restricted to “Nordafrika” by Mertens and Muller (1940). Klaver and Bohme (1997) stated the types were 
unlocated and associated them with specimens figured by Seba (1734) on pi. 82, figs. 2, 4 and 5. However, 
L in naeus (1758) also provided indications to works by Aldrovandi, Gronovius, Olearius, Besler, Valentini, 
Jonstonus, Bellonius, Kircher, and Hasselquist (see Bauer 2012 for citations to the relevant works) as well as 
his own earlier publications (Linnaeus 1749, 1754), so there were numerous syntypes, deriving from several 
different species of chameleons. 
Chamaeleo chamaeleon , Le Berre 1989:142. 
Chamaeleo chamaeleon, Schleich, Kastle, and Kabisch 1996:312. 
Chamaeleo chamaeleon, Sindaco and Jeremcenko 2008:173. 
Chamaeleo chamaeleon, Trape, Trape, and Chirio 2012:186. 
Distribution.— North Africa from Western Sahara to Egypt, around the eastern Mediter¬ 
ranean to coastal regions of the Asian portion of Turkey, and into the Arabian Peninsula, particu¬ 
larly along the southern Red Sea. Introduced into the Iberian Peninsula, Apulia (Italy) Malta, and 
Crete (Paulo et al. 2002; Sindaco et al. 2006a; Sindaco and Jeremcenko 2008) as well as Madeira 
(Wagner et al. 2012). In Libya they are distributed along the coast, with inland records chiefly asso¬ 
ciated with oases. 
Libyan Records (Map 12): TRIPOLITANIA: Nuoat al Khams : 4: UMNH 4242. 5: MNHN 
1966.1097. Zawiyah : 11: BMNH 1964.2076; Frynta et al. 2000. 12: ZMB 39328-29. 22: MCSN 
