While there are some pretty small amphibians, there aren’t too many pint-sized lizards.  The Leaf Chameleons win the award for being the smallest lizard.  The chameleon genus Brookesia lives in Madagascar.  At a bare inch full grown, some species of this reptile are hardly longer than a man’s thumb-nail!  Madagascar’s ample rainforests and jungles are home to twenty-six species of leaf chameleons, many species which were only discovered in recent years.

  Photo by Threat to Democracy

Most chameleons resemble pint-size anachronistic triceratops.  They either have “horns” or a bony frill around their head.  These are the “true” chameleons.  The leaf chameleon doesn’t have horns or a bony frill, but it does have two upraised rows of minute scales that run parallel to each other across its back.  Like other chameleons, leaf chameleons come in a variety of color, although they are mostly drab: gray, dull greens and brown.  The main color is broken by zig-zagging lines running across the chameleon’s body that imitate lichen.  A small off-white patch on its forehead gives it a little color.  Another name for the leaf chameleons is stump-tailed chameleon.  If you compare a leaf chameleon’s tail to that of any other type of chameleon (Jackson’s, Common), you’ll notice that the former’s tail is hardly the length of its body and ends with a sad curl.  Other chameleons have long tails which form a tight spiral.   

Photo by Threat to Democracy

One of the leaf chameleon’s habitats of choice reflects its name: this reptile spends much of its time foraging under piles of leaves that obscure the rainforest floor.  This type of leaf buildup occurs in primary rainforests (mature rainforests that are undisturbed by civilization).  The chameleon searches for a variety of insects, including fruit and white flies.  For sleeping or just hanging out, the leaf chameleon prefers to head tree-side and cling to thin branches.

Notice the curled tail and small neck frill of a “true” chameleon         

Serious defenses are needed when you’re tiny and at the bottom of the food chain.  The leaf chameleon has a couple of interesting defense mechanisms if its camouflage doesn’t deter predators.  First, it will close its eyes to remove all source of movement.  If the branch the chameleon is on shakes, the chameleon will promptly drop like a dead twig into the leaves below and play possum.  If the predator is unusually persistent and manages to grab the chameleon, the reptile will vibrate!     

The leaf chameleon population has fallen drastically in recent years.  Like many animals in Madagascar, the leaf chameleon is threatened by rainforest destruction.  Since the chameleon relies on mature and undisturbed rainforests for survival, acceptable habitats are harder and harder to come by.  Another cause of falling chameleon numbers is exportation.  These tiny chameleons are novel pets, and are collected by the pet trade industry.  While this is acceptable if the required permit is possessed, chameleons have sometimes been harvested out of restricted areas.