Brown leaf chameleon  (Brookesia superciliaris)

The brown leaf chameleon is, like other Brookesia species, a master of disguise. Its elongate, rather high, laterally squashed body resembles a rolled-up, dead leaf. The size and appearance of these chameleons varies considerably over their relatively vast range, and they may be any shade of brown, beige, grey, olive, green, or dark red, but usually display colours and patterns that mimic a dead leaf. Some brown leaf chameleons may even have a pattern that looks like lichen. Despite their 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 that jut from the throat (2).

Occurs in coastal regions of eastern Madagascar and the island of Nosy Boraha (4), from sea level up to altitudes of over 1,000 metres (2)

The brown leaf chameleon primarily inhabits the floor of evergreen primary forest, but may also be found in secondary forest and adjacent overgrown plantations. It seems to prefer closed-canopy forest, and climbs higher in the forest, (up to 1.5 metres), more often than other species of Brookesia (2).

The brown leaf chameleon spends its days foraging among dead leaves on the forest floor (2), searching for prey with its independently moving turret-like eyes and catching insects with its long, sticky tongue which shoots out at lightening speed (3). If threatened, the lizard's first reaction is to stay still and rely on its remarkable camouflage, but if the predator continues to approaching, the brown leaf chameleon will try and escape. If this fails, they have one final cunning manoeuvre; by stiffening their vertebral column, they feign death and drop to the ground like a dead twig (2).

Brown leaf chameleons have an interesting courtship ritual in which a male approaches a female with pronounced nodding and rocking movements. A non-receptive 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 (2)

30 to 45 days after copulation, the female lays two to five eggs, which she hides under dead leaves, moss, and pieces of bark. Sometimes, a true nest is excavated and the clutch is laid on to the ground. The eggs hatch after 59 to 70 days, with the brown leaf chameleon reaching sexual maturity within one year (2).

Like other Brookesia chameleons, the brown leaf chameleon is threatened primarily by habitat destruction (4), the result of agriculture, timber extraction, industrial and small-scale mining (5). While harvesting for the international pet trade is also likely to be threatening the survival of the brown leaf chameleon, the extent of the impact is not clear. In 2001, 522 brown leaf chameleons were exported from Madagascar for the pet trade, and harvesting has even been recorded within protected areas (4).

The brown leaf chameleon is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meaning that trade in this species should be carefully controlled in order to be compatible with their survival (1). It is also known to occur in at least one protected area, Befotaka-Midongy National Park (6), although illegal harvesting or other activities that degrade the forest habitat may lessen any benefits this bestows.

For further information on the brown leaf chameleon see:

• Necas, P. and Schmidt, W. (2004) Stump-tailed chameleons. Miniature Dragons of the Rainforest. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt.

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