The brown leaf chameleon or stump-tailed chameleon (''Brookesia superciliaris'') is a small

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 ...

found along the eastern coast of

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 ...

, as well as the island of Nosy Boraha. Its appearance mimics that of a dead leaf. The taxonomy is in need of revision.

Description

The brown leaf chameleon is distinguished by its elongated, high, laterally squashed body that resembles a rolled-up, dead leaf. The size and appearance of this chameleon varies considerably over its vast range, and it may be any shade of brown, beige, grey, olive, green, or dark red, but usually display colours and patterns that mimic a dead leaf. Despite its tiny size, the brown leaf chameleon has an imposing appearance due to two pronounced horns that protrude from the head above each eye and four spiny

scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number w ...

that jut from the throat.Nečas, P. and Schmidt, W. (2004) Stump-tailed chameleons. Miniature Dragons of the Rainforest. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt.

Distribution and habitat

The brown leaf chameleon occurs in eastern Madagascar (including the island of

Nosy Boraha Nosy Boraha , previously known as Sainte-Marie, main town Ambodifotatra, is an island off the east coast of Madagascar. The island forms an administrative district within Analanjirofo Region, and covers an area of 222 km2. It has a popula ...

),Carpenter, A.I. and Robson, O. (2005) A review of the endemic chameleon genus Brookesia from Madagascar, and the rationale for its listing on CITES Appendix II. Oryx, 39(4): 345-380. from sea level up to elevations of over . The floor of

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

primary forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

is the preferred habitat of the brown leaf chameleon, but it may also be found in

secondary forest A secondary forest (or second-growth forest) is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a timber harvest or clearing for agriculture, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident. ...

and adjacent overgrown plantations.Rakotondravony, H. (2004) Diversité des caméléons forestiers de la région d'Andasibe (Madagascar) et modèle de distribution de cette communauté selon différent types physionomiques. La Terre et la vie: Revue d'Ecologie, 59: 529-544. It seems to prefer closed-

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...

forest, and climbs higher in the forest (up to ), more often than other species of ''Brookesia''.

Ecology and behavior

The brown leaf chameleon spends its days foraging among dead leaves on the forest floor, searching for prey with its independently moving, protruding eyes and catching insects with its long, sticky tongue. If threatened, the lizard's first reaction is to stay still and rely on its remarkable

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...

, but it may also exhibit other defence behaviours. This includes the 'freeze-and-roll' technique, in which the chameleon folds its legs underneath its belly, rolls over to one side and remains very still, mimicking a dead leaf on the forest floor. Alternatively, the brown leaf chameleon may also thrust its spines to ward off predators. Brown leaf chameleons have an interesting

courtship ritual A courtship display is a set of display behaviors in which an animal, usually a male, attempts to attract a mate; the mate exercises choice, so sexual selection acts on the display. These behaviors often include ritualized movement ("dances"), ...

in which a male approaches a female with pronounced nodding and rocking movements. An unreceptive female repels a male by reacting with jerky movements, while a receptive female walks with the male. After some time walking together, and before dusk, the male mounts the female and is carried on her back until the pair copulates in the late evening or at night. This species is known to store sperm. Between 30 and 45 days after copulation, the female lays two to five eggs, which she hides under dead leaves, moss, and pieces of bark on the forest floor. Sometimes, a true nest is excavated and the clutch is laid on to the ground. The eggs hatch after 59 to 70 days; the brown leaf chameleon reaching sexual maturity within one year.

Threats and conservation

Like other ''Brookesia'' chameleons, the brown leaf chameleon is threatened primarily by

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

, which is the result of

agricultural expansion Agricultural expansion describes the growth of agricultural land (arable land, pastures, etc.) especially in the 20th and 21st centuries. The agricultural expansion is often explained as a direct consequence of the global increase in food and ene ...

, timber extraction, and small-scale mining. Harvesting for the international pet trade does occur, but is unlikely to be threatening its survival. Since 2005, export quotas have been set at 200 individuals per year. The brown leaf chameleon is listed on Appendix II of the

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...

(CITES), meaning that trade in this species should be carefully controlled to be compatible with their survival. It is also known to occur in a number of protected areas, including Befotaka-Midongy National Park,

Mantadia National Park Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is a 155 square kilometre protected area, located about 150 km east of Antananarivo, consisting principally of primary growth forest in Alaotra-Mangoro Region in eastern Madagascar. The park's elevation rang ...

, Analamazoatra Special Reserve, and Kalambatitra Special Reserve.Andreone, F., and Randrianirina, J. (2007) The amphibians and reptiles of Kalambatritra, a little-known rainforest of south-eastern Madagascar. Bollettino del Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali di Torino, 24: 179-190. Although illegal harvesting and other activities that degrade the forest habitat may lessen any benefits this bestows, this species is more tolerant of forest disturbance than other leaf chameleons.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1938852 Brookesia

Reptiles described in 1820 Taxa named by Heinrich Kuhl Fauna of the Madagascar lowland forests Fauna of the Madagascar subhumid forests