One of the 6 chameleons on WAnimals
Reptiles · Squamata · Chamaeleonidae
Leaf Chameleon
Brookesia micra
It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary
Brookesia micra is a chameleon of the genus Brookesia. It is endemic to the island of Nosy Hara. It is the smallest chameleon known, at a maximum size of 29 mm. Males of Brookesia micra reach a maximum snout-to-vent length of 16 mm, and the total body length of both sexes is under 30 mm, which makes it one of the smallest amniote vertebrates in the world. The lizard's size is a consequence of its habitat, through the effect of insular dwarfism. Compared with Brookesia minima, B. micra has a shorter tail and a larger head. They are normally found among the leaf litter by day, and climb onto branches up to 10 cm above the ground at night to sleep.
Size
2 cm – 3 cm
Lifespan
4 years
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Fun facts
- récordIt is one of the smallest reptiles in the world, with adults under 3 centimetres in total length.
- It is one of the smallest reptiles on the planet: adults are around three centimetres long including the tail, and the photographs of a juvenile on the head of a match went round the world when the species was described in 2012.
- Its tiny size is put down to insular dwarfism: it lives on a minute islet, and several related species on neighbouring islands show the same extreme miniaturisation.
- It does not change colour like the large chameleons: it is brown and cryptic, and its defence is to drop from its perch and lie still among the leaf litter, indistinguishable from a twig.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
- Habitat & environment
- Ground leaf litter of dry forest on the islet of Nosy Hara, in northern Madagascar
- Sexual maturity
- 6 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 60 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 2 eggs
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookesia_micra
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Leaf Chameleon — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Near ThreatenedParson's Chameleon
Calumma parsonii
Panther Chameleon
Furcifer pardalis
Common Flat-tail Gecko
Uroplatus fimbriatus
Brown Lemur
Eulemur fulvus
Golden Mantella
Mantella aurantiaca
Giraffe-necked Weevil
Trachelophorus giraffa
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about leaf chameleon.
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