The spectral pygmy chameleon (''Rhampholeon spectrum''), also known as western pygmy chameleon or Cameroon stumptail chameleon, is one of the so-called "dwarf" or "leaf" chameleons, from mainland

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Distribution

The exact distribution differs between sources, but includes at least Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon, and may include the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, and Nigeria.

Description

They are small, not exceeding , with very short, albeit prehensile, tails. They tend to frequent the ground and low shrubbery in forested areas. This species is capable of color change, but generally in somber shades of tan to gray. It also has a ventral stripe from the eye to above the base of the tail which, however, is not always displayed in lieu of plain ground colors. It is capable of quite striking coloration in the form of streaks and blotches. In spite of their small size, plain color, and often terrestrial habits, they are otherwise very much like the larger chameleons in possessing independently rotating eye sockets, opposable digits on the front and back feet, and projectile tongues. Males may be differentiated from females by their wider tail bases.

Behavior

They are extremely sedentary, and not territorial (unlike other chameleons). They eat small

invertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

s. Their reproductive habits are poorly known. These animals seem to prefer cooler temperatures.

References

Rhampholeon Lizards of Africa Reptiles of Cameroon Vertebrates of the Central African Republic Reptiles of Equatorial Guinea Reptiles of Gabon Reptiles of West Africa Reptiles of the Republic of the Congo Reptiles described in 1874 Taxa named by Reinhold Wilhelm Buchholz {{chameleon-stub