What Is The Smallest Chameleon In The World?

It’s about time you meet the smallest gem in the chameleon genus. Let’s introduce you to the Tiny Titan: Brookesia Nana. It is the smallest chameleon in the world. with the title of The World’s Smallest Chameleon. The super-small chameleon was discovered by Frank Glaw. He was a member of a joint team of Malagasy and German scientists on a biodiversity expedition to northern Madagascar in 2012.

The Brookesia genus (the Madagascan dwarf or leaf chameleons) is also the family related to the prior title holder of the world’s smallest chameleon, the Brookesia Micra. There are 30 confirmed subspecies in the Brookesia genus. Scientists have no idea why dwarfism is common in this region of Madagascar, but rarely displayed anywhere else on earth.

Life in the Mini Lane – Size Matters

How tiny is Brookesia Nana? The newly described adult male Brookesia Nana species has a body length of just 13.5mm and measures 22mm from nose to tail. The female is noticeably bigger at 19 mm (0.75”), just picture a paper-clip-sized chameleon. Their small size makes them one of the most fascinating creatures in the animal kingdom.

Despite their small stature, these chameleons are the real deal, with all the characteristics and behavior defining other chameleons 10 times their size. They have a prehensile tail and independently-moving eyes, giving them a 360-degree panoramic view.

The minute size of these chameleons is the adaptation that allows them to weave through the vines and thin branches. Also around the forest floor and on trees to hunt and find shelter in crevices where other chameleons can’t go.

Habitat and Lifestyle

Brookesia Nana lives in the forests in montane rainforests in northern Madagascar, North of 16°S. Because of their tiny size, they blend right in with vines, leaves, or twigs. These minute chameleons are experts in camouflage. Their brownish-green coloration helps them blend with their surroundings to avoid predators and ambush their prey.

Diet and Hunting

Their minute size doesn’t mean these reptiles aren’t uniquely adapted to their environment, with top-level predation strategies. Brookesia Nana feeds on insects and invertebrates, seizing their prey by darting a lightning-fast tongue out to catch their prey.

A Day in the Life of Brookesia Nana

These teeny chameleons are diurnal; an average day for Brookesia Nana is spent in search of food sources and soaking up the sun’s UV radiation to stay warm and active. Typically, Brookesia Nana wakes up in the morning and basks in the sun before going out in search of other small insects. Insects such as mites and springtails, in the leaf litter and around tree trunks in the forest.

Amazingly, despite this lizard’s small size and petite body, they showed incredible agility and precision in hunting. At night, the Brookesia Nana climbs atop small plants to rest to avoid predators. They roost on leaves or twigs at the highest viewpoints possible to escape threats quickly when they show up.

Brookesia Nana – Reproduction and Lifespan

The reproductive behavior of these miniature marvels is as mysterious and fascinating as their size. Females lay one or two eggs at a time, depositing the eggs in a leaf litter nest where they remain concealed until the hatchlings wake up and start roaming the forest. Hatchlings emerge from their eggs fully independent and capable of taking care of themselves. These chameleons have a 2-to-3-year around life span that’s short, but packed with action from their unique rainforest environment.

Habitat Threats and Conservation

While well adapted to their environment with amazing color-changing capabilities, the deforestation and habitat destruction in Madagascar threaten the systemic survival of Brookesia Nana. The threat to the populations of Brookesia species from loss of natural habitat is real, and ever-present.

Organizations and researchers run projects to save forests in Madagascar and its incredible biodiversity. Local organizations engage in the development and establishment of protected land areas and sustainable land use.

Fun Facts About Brookesia Nana

World Record Holder – BROOKESIA NANA Registered officially now and forever as the tiniest member of the chameleon family ever found. It’s amazing that this tiny chameleon measures less than the tip of your thumb.

Minute But Mighty – Although they are the smallest chameleon in the world. These lizards have all the regular traits of a chameleon. Prehensile tails, independently moving eyes, and a rapid-fire sticky tongue for capturing prey.

A Master of Camouflage – They’re light brown in color and mimic the color of the forest floor to avoid predators and abush prey.

A Champion of Biodiversity – This find represents an incredible display of the natural biodiversity in Madagascar, an island harboring some of the rarest chameleon species globally.

Evolutional Inspiration to Scientists – These tiny chameleons can inspire scientists interested in the scope of biodiversity related to evolutionary adaptation, and conservation sciences.

Reasons We Love Brookesia Nana

The Adorable Factor

Let’s be frank: who wouldn’t fall in love with a chameleon this small and cute? They capture the minds and hearts of scientists and animal lovers’ because of their miniature size.

Evolutional Adaptations

This chameleon is a wonder of evolution offering scientists insight into the underlying complexity of adaptation to life’s unique circumstances and demands in the micro-world.

Raising Environmental Awareness

The knowledge of these types of discoveries on environmental biodiversity projects helps to drive awareness for conservation strategies to protect these animals from eventual extinction. Even the loss of a micro-sized species like Brookesia Nana will have a ripple effect throughout the entire forest ecosystem.

The Brookesia Nana as a Pet – Practical Considerations and Legality Issues

You can’t keep this smallest chameleon in the world, a Brookesia Nana as a pet, it’s highly illegal. There is no legal license available allowing people to import and sell these chameleons in the American or European pet markets. If someone claims to have this species available as part of their collection, they might have got it from nefarious sources in the illegal pet trade. They could have gotten suckered by a breeder into buying something that isn’t Brookesia Nana, but something else.

Sometimes, people will try selling pygmy chameleons as Brookesia Nana. The trade in wild-caught chameleons is strictly controlled. Dealing in these animals is categorized under Appendix 2 of the (CITES) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Brookesia Nana being a significantly endangered is included under the protection of this legislation. There’s speculation on how long this law will hold off the efforts of urbanization in the chameleon’s natural forest habitat.

Brookesia Nana truly is a marvel of nature, as is all wildlife unique to this special area of Madagascar. For this reason, conservation groups and herpetologists explicitly endorse efforts to stem the tide of demand for keeping Brookesia Nana as pets to preserve the local population and protect the future of their natural environment.