The Description of Kinyongia tavetana
A very strange situation appears around the description of Kinyongia tavetana...
In February 1887, Count Teleki, accompanied by Austrian naval officer Lieutenant Ludwig von Höhnel, embarked on an expedition from Pangani, Tanzania, with approximately 400 porters, tracing the course of the Ruvu River. Their journey marked the first extensive survey of the East African Rift. Teleki achieved several remarkable milestones, becoming the first to reach the snow line of Mount Kilimanjaro at 5,300 meters (17,400 feet) and the first explorer to set foot on Mount Kenya, ascending to around 4,300 meters (14,100 feet).
Continuing northward along the interior river system, Teleki encountered the last of the African Great Lakes on March 5, 1888, a body of water he called the Jade Sea and named after his friend, Prince Rudolf. In 1975, the lake was officially renamed Turkana, reflecting the identity of the people inhabiting its western shores. Additionally, during their travels in southern Ethiopia, Teleki and von Höhnel discovered a smaller lake, originally called Lake Stefanie in honor of Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, the wife of Prince Rudolf. Today, it is known as Lake Chew Bahir.
Ludwig von Höhnel was during the expedition in charge of securing voucher specimens of reptiles, which he has done very responsibly. During this expedition, he collected and later delivered to the Museum of Natural History in Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien) types of three new species of chameleons, described by the Vienna based scientist Franz Steindachner:
Chamaeleon tavetanus (or tavetensis - see further);
Chamaeleon höhnelii (later transliterated to hoehnelii);
Chamaeleon leikipiensis (later synonymised with hoehnelii).
A funny note is, that despite they passed around Mt. Nyiro and Mt. Kulal, they did not climb them and left the chameleon species occurring there unrevealed and undescribed, waiting for their formal description for more than a further century. We organised several expeditions to this region at the very beginning of the 3rd millennium and described new chameleon taxa:
- Kinyongia asheorum NECAS, SINDACO, KORENÝ, KOPEČNÁ, MALONZA & MODRÝ, 2009;
- Trioceros narraioca (NECAS, MODRÝ & SLAPETA, 2003);
- Trioceros ntunte (NECAS, MODRÝ & SLAPETA, 2005).
Franz Steindachner (1834–1919) was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist known for his extensive work on fish and reptiles. He published over 200 papers on fish and more than 50 on amphibians and reptiles, describing hundreds of new species. Steindachner was appointed director of the fish collection at the Natural History Museum in Vienna and later became its overall director1. He participated in expeditions across Europe, Africa, and South America, contributing significantly to taxonomy and systematics. Several species and genera, including Steindachneria and Steindachneridion, were named in his honor
Steindachner used for the publication the formal periodical of the Academy of Sciences, Vienna. And this is where the confusion started. The periodical was issued in the 11th of June 1891. It contained an official Announcement part: "Anzeiger der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Klasse" and the full Text part, "Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien".
Both Anzeiger der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien and Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien were scientific periodicals published by the Austrian Academy of Sciences. They focused on mathematical and natural sciences, serving as platforms for academic discussions and research dissemination. Anzeiger translates as "Announcements" and Sitzungsberichte translates as "Proceedings", in the logical order Anzeiger first and Sitzungsberichte second.
Sitzungsberichte was a more comprehensive journal, documenting formal proceedings and research presentations from academy meetings. Meanwhile, the Anzeiger functioned as a supplementary publication, providing announcements, shorter notices and summaries of ongoing research and functioned as an announcement, summary and abstract integral part of the big Journal, despite sometimes, it was cited separately.
However, due to this arrangement, there are two cite-able resources:
Steindachner, F. 1891. Über einige neue und seltene Reptilien und Amphibien. Anz. Akad. Wiss. Wien 28: 141-144.
Steindachner, F. 1891. Bericht über die von Herrn Linienschiffsleutenant Ritter von Höhnel während der Graf Samuel Telekis ostafrikanischer Expedition gesammelten Reptilien. Sitzungsb. Akad. Wiss., Wien 100 (1): 309-313
It must be explicitly stated, however, that the author, Franz Steindachner, never intended to publish two separate articles on the same topic. Such an action would be entirely nonsensical, as both would appear on the same date from the same publishing house. The text in the Anzeiger was merely an announcement for the more extensive article. Very likely, the Anzeiger was technically processed by some staff members and was not authored by Steindachner himself, at least not in full. This is namely the only plausible reason, why the following mistakes or inconsistencies happened:
1. NAMING
In the Anzeiger, the specific epithet "tavetanus", while in Sitzungsberichte, it was mentioned as "tavetensis".
As Steindachner was as a scientist very precise, it is obvious, he has chosen the epithet "tavetensis", which is absolutely correct for a "nomen topographicus", formed lege artis with the topographic name and suffix "-ensis". The epithet "tavetanus" is technically not incorrect, but not used as often and for a precise scientist, this would not be the first choice with great probability. It is therefore very probable, that this was a lapsus calami, very probably of the publisher's personnel, not Steindachner himself.
It is really out of reality that Steindachner would propose the less rigorously correct name "tavetanus" deliberately as nomen substitutum for the correct epithet "tavetensis" and would intentionally introduce one name in the Announcements and then substitute it in the full text of his description work. However, this logic is proposed and followed by Loveridge (1957), Mertens (1966); Broadley & Howell (1991), Klaver & Böhme (1997), Tilbury & al. (2007) and Glaw (2014). Lutzmann & Necas (2002), while describing Bradypodion tavetanum boehmei (= Kinyongia boehmei) commentd on this situation, followed however the formal facts more than the con text and logic of the situation, therefore, they came to a formal conclusion as the above mentioned authors.
2. TERRA TYPICA
In the Anzeiger, the terra typica was staed as "Taveta", while in Sitzungsberichte, it was mentioned as "Fundort: Taveta-Wald am Südfusse von Kilima-ndscharo".
In English it means: "Locality of the Find: Taveta Forest on the southern foot of Kilimanjaro."
The name Kilima-Ndscharo in German follows the Swahili components of the name Kilimanjaro. In Swahili, "Kilima" means "hill" or "little mountain," while "Njaro" has various proposed origins—it could mean "whiteness" (referring to the snow-capped peak), or it might derive from a Chagga word related to difficulty in climbing.
Count Samuel Teleki did not reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro or Mount Kenya (neither Ludwig von Höhnel). In 1887, he climbed Kilimanjaro to an altitude of 5,300 meters (17,400 feet) but had to turn back due to physical strain. Similarly, on Mount Kenya, he reached approximately 4,300 meters (14,100 feet) but did not ascend further. The first recorded successful ascent of Kilimanjaro's highest peak, Kibo, was achieved by Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller in 1889.
The German spelling Kilima-Ndscharo was used in the late 19th century when the region became part of German East Africa. The Germans adopted the Swahili name but adjusted the spelling to fit German phonetics. Later, in 1889, the peak Kibo was named Kaiser-Wilhelm-Spitze by Hans Meyer, the first European to reach the summit.
Moreover, according to the the diary of the Ritter Ludwig von Höhnel (1894: p. 94) the expedition of Samuel Teleki, within which the material, elaborated later by Steindachner was collected, spent many days in Taveta (at SE foot of Kili) and operated between Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru and climbed partly both mountains. They were perfectly operating within the nowadays known range of K. tavetana. Which forest was mentioned by von Höhnel as "Taveta forest" is unknown, however, if situated S of Kilimanjaro, it is perfectly fitting the local designation.
TAXONOMIC CONSTRAINTS AND THEIR RECTIFICATION
Werner (1902), in his "Prodromus" evidently knew the above mentioned logic and ignored the lapsus tavetanus and listed it as Chamaeleon tavetensis, same as in his "Tierreich" (Werner 1911). Loveridge (1957) then suddenly changed the epithet to tavetanus and included it as a subspecies of Chamaeleo fischeri: Chamaeleo fischeri tavetanus, a logic followed by Mertens (1966). Broadley & Howell (1991) elevated it back to species status rearranging it into the genus Bradypodion, which was followed by Klaver & Böhme (1997) and finally by Tilbury & al. (2007) and Glaw (2014), both listing it under the genus Kinyongia.
The only justification for using the confusing name tavetanus lays in the time priority of mentioning the name in a publication, which can be assigned unmistakenly to a taxon.
If you consider the publication in the Anzeiger as a separate publication, this logic may apply, however, the species definition is not enough to unmistakenly assign it to a taxon based on the text in the Anzeiger solely. Moreover, the city of Taveta, mentioned as Terra Typica is false, as this chameleons does not occur there and never did in the relevant time span. The Anzeiger text was not intended to be a description, not to be a taxonomically relevant text and does not fulfil criteria to be considered as such. The mentioned name Chamaeleon tavetensis is therefore to be declared as nomen nudum.
On the other side, the publication in Sitzungsberichte is full, formally correct, mentioning a much more precise Terra Typica (probably with a nowadays a bit confusing name Taveta Forest), however precise and correct enough to assign it to the southern (and not south-eastern or eastern - as in the case of Taveta town) foot of Kilimanjaro and to a forest there, which never existed there. It is absolutely correct and congruent with our knowledge about the habitat preferences/limitations of this species. To discredit this publication for formal reason is not a good way how to apply logic and understanding in science.
The publication in the Anzeiger is not to be considered as valid separate publication but only as an announcement of the publication in Sitzungsberichte and fulfilling merely a technical function of an announcement, content list and abstract and as such, it represents an integral part of the publication in Sitzungsberichte.
Therefore, the name Chamaeleon tavetanus should be considered nomen nudum and as lapsus calami or error typographicus and treated as a senior synonym of Chamaeleon tavetensis, to be cited nowadays as Kinyongia tavetensis (Steindachner, 1891). As such, it would be much more logical as consistent with the evident intention of the author and rectifying meaningfully to a correct naming's half century of confusion, codifying wrong name for solely formal but evidently nonsensual reasons.
LITERATURE
Broadley, D.G. & Howell, K.M. (1991): A check list of the reptiles of Tanzania, with synoptic keys. – Syntarsus, 1: 1 – 70.
Glaw, F. (2015): Taxonomic checklist of chameleons (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae). - Vertebrate Zoology 65 (2): 167–246.
Höhnel, Ludwig von. Discovery of Lakes Rudolf and Stefanie: A Narrative of Count Samuel Teleki's Exploring & Hunting Expedition in Eastern Equatorial Africa in 1887 & 1888. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1894. Volume 2, 293pp.
Klaver, C. & Böhme, W. (1997): Chamaeleonidae. Das Tierreich, 112. – Verlag Walter de Gruyter & Co, Berlin, New York, 85 pp.
Loveridge, A. (1957): Checklist of the reptiles and amphibians of East Africa (Uganda; Kenya; Tanganyika; Zanzibar). – Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 117: 153 – 362.
Lutzmann, N. & Necas, P. (2002) Zum Status von Bradypodion tavetanum (Steindachner, 1891) aus den Taita Hills, Kenia, mit Beschreibung einer neuen Unterart (Reptilia: Sauria: Chamaeleonidae). Salamandra 38(1): 5–14.
Mertens, R. (1966): Chamaeleonidae. – Das Tierreich, 83: I – X. 1–37.
Steindachner, F. 1891. Über einige neue und seltene Reptilien und Amphibien. Anz. Akad. Wiss. Wien 28: 141-144.
Steindachner, F. 1891. Bericht über die von Herrn Linienschiffsleutenant Ritter von Höhnel während der Graf Samuel Telekis ostafrikanischer Expedition gesammelten Reptilien. Sitzungsb. Akad. Wiss., Wien 100 (1): 309-313
Tilbury, C.R. & Tolley, K.A. (2009a): A re-appraisal of the systematics of the African genus Chamaeleo (Reptilia: Chamaeleonidae). – Zootaxa, 2079: 57 – 68.
Werner, F. (1902) Prodromus einer Monographie der Chamäleonten. Jena: G. Fischer, 1902. Zoologische Jahrbücher, Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere, Bd. 15, 300pp.
Werner, F. (1911) Das Tierreich: Chamaeleontidae. Lieferung 27. Berlin: Verlag von R. Friedländer & Sohn, 1911, pp. 1–76.
The Anzeiger text:
The Sitzungsberichte text: