Brookesia

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Cladus: Unidentata Episquamata Toxicofera
Subordo: Iguania
Infraordo: Acrodonta

Familia: Chamaeleonidae
Subfamilia: Brookesiinae
Genus: Brookesia
Species (32): B. ambreensis - B. antakarana - B. bekolosy - B. betschi - B. bonsi – B. brunoi – B. brygooi – B. confidens – B. decaryi – B. dentata – B. desperata – B. ebenaui – B. exarmata – B. griveaudi – B. karchei – B. lambertoni – B. lineata – B. lolontany – B. micra – B. minima – B. nana – B. nasus – B. perarmata – B. peyrierasi – – B. superciliaris – B. tedi – B. therezieni – B. thieli – B. tristis – B. tuberculata – B. vadoni – B. valerieaeB. stumpffi

Name

Brookesia Gray, 1864
Type species: Chamaeleo superciliaris Kuhl, 1820

References

Crottini, Angelica; Aurélien Miralles; Frank Glaw; D. James Harris; Alexandra Lima & Miguel Vences, 2012: Description of a new pygmy chameleon (Chamaeleonidae: Brookesia) from central Madagascar. Zootaxa 3490: 63–74. Preview Reference page.
Glaw, F.; Köhler, J.; Townsend, T.M.; Vences, M. 2012: Rivaling the world's smallest reptiles: discovery of miniaturized and microendemic new species of leaf chameleons (Brookesia) from northern Madagascar. PLoS ONE 7(2): e31314. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031314 Open access.
Gray, J.E. 1864: Revision of the genera and species of Chamaeleonidae, with the description of some new species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 32(1): 465–479, plates XXXI-XXXII. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1864.tb00409.x [Proceedings for Nov. 8]. BHL.
Scherz, M.D., Köhler, J., Rakotoarison, A., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. 2019. A new dwarf chameleon, genus Brookesia, from the Marojejy massif in northern Madagascar. Zoosystematics and Evolution 95(1): 95–106. DOI: 10.3897/zse.95.32818 Reference page.

Links

Brookesia at the New Reptile Database. Accessed on 10 Mar 2008.
EoL
ION
Nomenclator Zoologicus

Vernacular names
English: Leaf Chameleons
ไทย: บรู๊คเคเซีย

Brookesia is a genus of chameleons, endemic to Madagascar, that range from small to very small in size, and are known collectively as leaf chameleons (though this name also commonly is used for species in the genera Rieppeleon and Rhampholeon). Brookesia includes species considered to be the world's smallest chameleons, and are also among the smallest reptiles. Members of the genus Brookesia are largely brown and most are essentially terrestrial.

A significant percentage of the species in the genus were only identified to science within the last three decades, and a number of species that still have not received a scientific name are known to exist. Most inhabit very small ranges in areas that are difficult to access, and due to their small size and secretive nature, they have been relatively poorly studied compared to their larger relatives.

Brookesia are abundant in low-disturbance riparian zones[1] and low-disturbance rainforests. Brookesia are scarce in high-disturbance forests[2] recovering from burning.

Etymology

The generic name Brookesia is in honor of British naturalist Joshua Brookes.[3]
Conservation status

Most Brookesia are on CITES Appendix II, the only exception being B. perarmata on Appendix I (a species also listed as endangered and a newly discovered Brookesia nana listed as Critically Endangered[4] by IUCN). Consequently, a special permit is required to import any of the below species from their native Madagascar, and typically no permit is issued for B. perarmata.

Species
Brookesia desperata female, stress-coloured, with two recently laid eggs.
Brookesia nana (male), the world's smallest known reptile species
Panel of eight pictures showing males and females of four leaf chameleon species.
Males (left) and females (right) of four Brookesia species described in 2012, all belonging to the B. minima species group: A-B B. tristis, C-D B. confidens, E-F B. micra, G-H B. desperata[5]

The genus Brookesia contains the following 31 species which are recognized as being valid.[6]

Brookesia antakarana Raxworthy & Nussbaum, 1995
Brookesia bekolosy Raxworthy & Nussbaum, 1995
Brookesia betschi Brygoo, Blanc & Domergue, 1974 – Blanc's leaf chameleon
Brookesia bonsi Ramanantsoa, 1980
Brookesia brunoi Crottini et al., 2012
Brookesia brygooi Raxworthy & Nussbaum, 1995 – leaf chameleon or Brygoo's chameleon
Brookesia confidens Glaw et al., 2012[5]
Brookesia decaryi, Angel, 1939 – spiny leaf chameleon
Brookesia dentata Mocquard, 1900 – toothed leaf chameleon
Brookesia desperata Glaw et al., 2012[5]
Brookesia ebenaui (Boettger, 1880) – northern leaf chameleon
Brookesia exarmata Schimmenti & Jesu, 1996
Brookesia griveaudi Brygoo, Blanc & Domergue, 1974 – Marojejy leaf chameleon
Brookesia karchei Brygoo, Blanc & Domergue, 1970 – naturelle leaf chameleon
Brookesia lambertoni Brygoo & Domergue, 1970 – Fito leaf chameleon
Brookesia lineata Raxworthy & Nussbaum, 1995
Brookesia micra Glaw et al., 2012[5]
Brookesia minima Boettger, 1893 – minute leaf chameleon
Brookesia nana Glaw et al., 2021 – Nano-chameleon
Brookesia perarmata (Angel, 1933) – Antsingy leaf chameleon
Brookesia peyrierasi Brygoo & Domergue, 1974 – Peyrieras's leaf chameleon
Brookesia ramanantsoai Brygoo & Domergue, 1975 – Ramanantsoa's minute leaf chameleon
Brookesia stumpffi Boettger, 1894 – plated leaf chameleon
Brookesia superciliaris (Kuhl, 1820) – brown leaf chameleon
Brookesia tedi Scherz, J. Kohler, Rakotoarison, Glaw & Vences, 2019
Brookesia therezieni Brygoo & Domergue, 1970 – Perinet leaf chameleon
Brookesia thieli Brygoo & Domergue, 1969 – Domergue's leaf chameleon
Brookesia tristis Glaw et al., 2012[5]
Brookesia tuberculata Mocquard, 1894 – Mount d'Ambre leaf chameleon
Brookesia vadoni Brygoo & Domergue, 1968 – Iaraka River leaf chameleon, mossy pygmy leaf chameleon
Brookesia valerieae Raxworthy, 1991 – Raxworthy's leaf chameleon

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Brookesia.
See also

Island dwarfism

References

Jenkins, Richard K.B.; Brady, Lee D.; Bisoa, Michel; Rabearivony, Jeanneney; Griffiths, Richard A. (2003). "Forest disturbance and river proximity influence chameleon abundance in Madagascar". Biological Conservation. 109 (3): 407–415. doi:10.1016/S0006-3207(02)00166-0.
Raxworthy, Christopher J.; Nussbaum, Ronald A. (1994). "A Rainforest Survey of Amphibians, Reptiles and Small Mammals at Montagne D'Ambre, Madagascar". Biological Conservation. 69: 65–73. doi:10.1016/0006-3207(94)90329-8. hdl:2027.42/31871.
Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michel (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Genus Brookesia, p. 40).
"'Smallest reptile on earth' discovered in Madagascar". BBC News. 5 February 2021.
Glaw F; Köhler J; Townsend TM; Vences M (2012). "Rivaling the World's Smallest Reptiles: Discovery of Miniaturized and Microendemic New Species of Leaf Chameleons (Brookesia) from Northern Madagascar". PLOS ONE. 7 (2): e31314. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...731314G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031314. PMC 3279364. PMID 22348069.

Genus Brookesia at The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org