Brookesia minima
Encyclopedia
Brookesia minima, is a diminutive chameleon
"often said to be the smallest" or "probably the smallest" of the Chamaeleonidae
.
, an island
located just off the northwest coast
of Madagascar
, but has extralimital distribution to Manongarivo Reserve
on Madagascar's northwest coast.
forming triangular plates above their eye
s. Along their backs are two rows of granular protrusions. B. minima specimens sometimes have lateral yellow stripes over their basic drab grayish-brown color. The maximum total length is 3.4 cm (1.3 in) for females and 2.8 cm (1.1 in) for males. Males are also more slender than females, and exhibit a hemipenial
bulge at the base of their tail
s. They are often considered the smallest Chamaeleonidae but other members of genus
Brookesia
may be even smaller (and undescribed species are likely to exist).
for a chameleon and likes moving around in the low branch
es and leaf litter of its native rain forests. Though they are moderately aggressive
towards another, population
densities in the wild may approach one animal per square meter.
.
breeding have been reported. Because B. minima are somewhat territorial, individual housing is recommended even for very young specimens. Their terrarium or other "glass enclosures of at least 16" x 16" x 16" (16"=~40 cm)" should have a substrate of leaf litter or soil. As they prefer to stay close to the ground, the horizontal dimensions of their habit are more important than its height. B. minima eggs are tiny and difficult to locate; some breeders prefer to leave them in their enclosure until hatching.
with other Madagascan Dwarf Chameleons such as B. dentata, B. tuberculata
, and other new or unidentified species such as a recently described chameleon from Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve
.
A 1999 paper in the Journal of Zoology
disputed a 1995 paper which considered B. tuberculata and B. peyrierasiand to be the same species as B. minima. The later paper discussed the same details as the first—subtle morphological
differences in the hemipenis
es of the respective species—and determined they were heterospecific
. They also found differences in the arrangement of head crests and in minute spines above the eyes.
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
"often said to be the smallest" or "probably the smallest" of the Chamaeleonidae
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
.
Range
B. minima is endemic to Nosy BeNosy Be
Nosy Be is an island located off the northwest coast of Madagascar. Nosy Be is Madagascar's largest and busiest tourist resort. It has an area of 312 km2 and its population was officially estimated at 36,636 in 2001....
, an island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
located just off the northwest coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, but has extralimital distribution to Manongarivo Reserve
Manongarivo Reserve
Manongarivo Reserve is a wildlife reserve of Madagascar....
on Madagascar's northwest coast.
Description
B. minima adults have flattened heads and an orbital crest with large scalesScale (zoology)
In most biological nomenclature, a scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration...
forming triangular plates above their eye
Eye
Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...
s. Along their backs are two rows of granular protrusions. B. minima specimens sometimes have lateral yellow stripes over their basic drab grayish-brown color. The maximum total length is 3.4 cm (1.3 in) for females and 2.8 cm (1.1 in) for males. Males are also more slender than females, and exhibit a hemipenial
Hemipenis
A hemipenis is one of a pair of intromittent organs of male squamates .Hemipenes are usually held inverted, within the body, and are everted for reproduction via erectile tissue, much like that in the human penis. Only one is used at a time, and some evidence indicates males alternate use between...
bulge at the base of their tail
Tail
The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, reptiles, and birds...
s. They are often considered the smallest Chamaeleonidae but other members of genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Brookesia
Brookesia
Brookesia is a genus of chameleons found in Madagascar, that range from small to very small in size, and are known collectively as Leaf Chameleons . It includes the species considered to be the world's smallest chameleons, and are also among the smallest reptiles...
may be even smaller (and undescribed species are likely to exist).
Habitat
B. minima is native to the rain forests of its native island. It has a relatively active habitHabit (biology)
Habit, when used in the context of biology, refers to the instinctive actions of animals and the natural tendencies of plants.In zoology, this term most often refers to specific behavioral characteristics, even when directly related to physiology...
for a chameleon and likes moving around in the low branch
Branch
A branch or tree branch is a woody structural member connected to but not part of the central trunk of a tree...
es and leaf litter of its native rain forests. Though they are moderately aggressive
Aggression
In psychology, as well as other social and behavioral sciences, aggression refers to behavior between members of the same species that is intended to cause humiliation, pain, or harm. Ferguson and Beaver defined aggressive behavior as "Behavior which is intended to increase the social dominance of...
towards another, population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
densities in the wild may approach one animal per square meter.
Reproduction
It is not known how frequently B. minima reproduce, but a typical clutch contains two eggsEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
.
Cultivation
Few successful examples of captiveCaptivity (animal)
Animals that live under human care are in captivity. Captivity can be used as a generalizing term to describe the keeping of either domesticated animals or wild animals. This may include for example farms, private homes and zoos...
breeding have been reported. Because B. minima are somewhat territorial, individual housing is recommended even for very young specimens. Their terrarium or other "glass enclosures of at least 16" x 16" x 16" (16"=~40 cm)" should have a substrate of leaf litter or soil. As they prefer to stay close to the ground, the horizontal dimensions of their habit are more important than its height. B. minima eggs are tiny and difficult to locate; some breeders prefer to leave them in their enclosure until hatching.
Similar species
B. minima has been characterized as belonging to a species groupSpecies group
A species group is an informal taxonomic rank into which an assemblage of closely related species within a genus are grouped because of their morphological similarities and their identity as a biological unit with a single monophyletic origin.-Use:...
with other Madagascan Dwarf Chameleons such as B. dentata, B. tuberculata
Brookesia tuberculata
Brookesia tuberculata is a diminutive chameleon from far northern Madagascar.-Similar species:A 1999 paper in the Journal of Zoology disputed a 1995 paper which considered this species and B. peyrierasi to be the same species as B. minima...
, and other new or unidentified species such as a recently described chameleon from Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve
Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve
Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve is a nature reserve located near the western coast of Madagascar in Melaky Region at . The area was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990 due to the unique geography, preserved mangrove forests, and wild bird and lemur populations...
.
A 1999 paper in the Journal of Zoology
Journal of Zoology
The Journal of Zoology is a scientific journal concerning zoology, the study of animals. It was founded in 1830 by the Zoological Society of London and is published by Wiley-Blackwell. It carries original research papers, which are targeted towards general readers...
disputed a 1995 paper which considered B. tuberculata and B. peyrierasiand to be the same species as B. minima. The later paper discussed the same details as the first—subtle morphological
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
differences in the hemipenis
Hemipenis
A hemipenis is one of a pair of intromittent organs of male squamates .Hemipenes are usually held inverted, within the body, and are everted for reproduction via erectile tissue, much like that in the human penis. Only one is used at a time, and some evidence indicates males alternate use between...
es of the respective species—and determined they were heterospecific
Conspecificity
Conspecificity is a concept in biology. Two or more individual organisms, populations, or taxa are conspecific if they belong to the same species....
. They also found differences in the arrangement of head crests and in minute spines above the eyes.
Photolinks
- http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Brookesia+minimaBrookesia minima images on FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...