Brookesia stumpffi

Brookesia stumpffi, also known as the plated leaf chameleon, is a species of chameleon found in some parts of Madagascar. It can be found in Nosy Bé, north-west Madagascar, Nosy Komba, and Nosy Sakatia.

Brookesia stumpffi
in Lokobe Strict Reserve, Nosy Be
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Chamaeleonidae
Genus:	Brookesia
Species:	B. stumpffi
Binomial name
Brookesia stumpffi Boettger, 1894

Taxonomy

Brookesia stumpffi was originally described by Oskar Boettger, a German zoologist, in 1894. ^[2]

Etymology

The specific name, stumpffi, is in honor of Anton Stumpff, who collected the holotype.^[3]

Geographic range and habitat

Glaw and Vences found B. stumpffi on small islands of Madagascar away from the main land mass of the country in 2007.^[1] The species can only be found in certain parts of Madagascar; it can be found in Nosy Be (sometimes known as Nosy Bé), north-western Madagascar, Nosy Komba, and Nosy Sakatia,^[2] and is common in the rainforest. Brookesia stumpffi can be found up to a height of 150 metres (490 feet) above sea level, and can be found over an area of 61,884 kilometres (38,453 miles).^[1][4]

Conservation status

There are no known major threats to the Brookesia stumpffi, and the species seems to be adaptable to "disturbed habitats".^[1] The species is sometimes kept as a pet and domesticated.^[1] The species is marked as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.^[1]

Description

Brookesia stumpffi can grow to a total length (including tail) of up to 9 cm (3.5 in), and has a life expectancy of at least three years.^[5]

Reproduction

During reproduction, the female B. stumpffi lays between three and five eggs, which hatch between 60 and 70 days later, provided they are at a temperature of 23 °C (73 °F).^[5]

Diet

B. stumpffi feeds on insects such as crickets, fruit flies, cockroaches, wax moths (waxworms), and grasshoppers.^[5]

Biology

During the day, the body temperature of B. stumpffi is between 22 and 25 °C (72 and 77 °F), and is 20 °C (68 °F) during the night.^[5]