The specific name, asheorum (Latin, genitive, plural), is in honor of British-Kenyan herpetologist James Ashe (1925–2004), and his wife Sanda (1944–2018).[3]
Description
K. asheorum is medium-sized, reaching a maximum size of about 22 cm (8.7 in) (of which about 60% is tail). It has a distinct head casque, a pointed snout, and two horns on the tip of the snout. It is uniformly dark green with several white spots and brownish ridges.[2]
Distribution and habitat
K. asheorum is only known to occur on Mount Nyiro in Kenya, where it was collected in a single patch of forest at an altitude of 2,000–2,450 m (6,560–8,040 ft). It inhabits large trees with extensive canopy cover.[2]
Conservation
While the species K. asheorum appears not to be under direct threat, it has a very restricted distribution and may be impacted by logging, forest fires, and grazing outside the forest. It has been classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN.[1]
^Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN978-1-4214-0135-5. (Kinyongia asheorum, p. 12).
