Brookesia superciliaris
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (from a photograph by Frank Glaw, Jörn Köhler, Ted M. Townsend & Miguel Vences) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The brown leaf chameleon or stump-tailed chameleon (Brookesia superciliaris) is a small chameleon found along the eastern coast of Madagascar, as well as the island of Nosy Boraha. Its appearance mimics that of a dead leaf. The taxonomy is in need of revision.
The brown leaf chameleon is distinguished by its big forehead and its annoying look on its face and a laterally squashed body that resembles a rolled-up, dead leaf. The size and appearance of this chameleon varies considerably over its vast range, and it may be any shade of brown, beige, grey, olive, green, or dark red, but usually display colours and patterns that mimic a dead leaf. Despite its 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.
The brown leaf chameleon occurs in eastern Madagascar (including the island of Nosy Boraha), from sea level up to elevations of over 1,250 metres (4,100 ft). The floor of evergreen primary forest is the preferred habitat of the brown leaf chameleon, but it may also be found in secondary forest and adjacent overgrown... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | Mantadia National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mandraka Reptile Farm | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Leaf Chameleon sighting in Mantadia National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 15 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September–October and December–January
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Leaf Chameleon in Mantadia National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–June and August, the lowest months.
Between 4 and 7 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Brown Leaf Chameleon sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Brown Leaf Chameleon sightings, Mantadia National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Ranomafana National Park (Madagascar, about 40%).
Same family: Chamaeleonidae
The closest relatives of the Brown Leaf Chameleon that you can see in Mantadia National Park (family Chamaeleonidae, Chameleons) are Parson's Chameleon (about 90%), Short-horned Chameleon (about 40%) and Perinet Chameleon (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Brown Leaf Chameleon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Mantadia National Park (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
