Brookesia superciliaris
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (from a photograph by Frank Glaw, Jörn Köhler, Ted M. Townsend & Miguel Vences) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% 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 |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Leaf Chameleon sighting in Ranomafana National Park on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 14th most-seen of the 29 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Leaf Chameleon in Ranomafana National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to July, the lowest months. That is one of Ranomafana National Park's wettest months, with about 450 mm of rain against 80 mm in September.
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.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Brown Leaf Chameleon sightings, Ranomafana National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Mantadia National Park (Madagascar, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Brown Leaf Chameleon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Ranomafana National Park (26 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.
