''Brookesia exarmata'', also known as the dwarf chameleon, is a species of

chameleon Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

. It was first described by Schimmenti and Jesu in 1996, and the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

(IUCN) has classed it as an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

of animal.

Distribution and habitat

''Brookesia exarmata'' is endemic to Madagascar, where it is only found in its type localities, which is the River Ambodyreana,

Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve is a nature reserve located near the western coast of Madagascar in Melaky Region at . The area was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990 due to the unique geography, preserved mangrove forests, a ...

, in west-central Madagascar. It can be found over an area of , and the habitat of the species is in decline due to

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

and forest fires. ''B. exarmata'' can be found at elevations between above

mean sea level There are several kinds of mean in mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. ...

. It is found in a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

. The IUCN has classed ''B. exarmata'' as an endangered species.

Description

The dwarf chameleon is one of the smallest species in the chameleon genus '' Brookesia''. It has a narrow head, and is coloured beige and brown. The species is at full length, with of that being the tail. It sleeps at around above the ground on twigs and/or stems. When threatened, it will stiffen its body and clutch its legs, and then fall to the ground, until it feels safe.

Taxonomy

''Brookesia exarmata'' was first described in 1996 by Schimmenti and Jesu, and was described twice since that year; by Necas in 1999: 277, and most recently, by Townsend et al. in 2009. It is commonly known as the Dwarf Chameleon due to its small size.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2926138 E Endemic fauna of Madagascar Reptiles of Madagascar Endangered fauna of Africa Reptiles described in 1996