West African leaf Chameleon

[SierraNevada]

This chameleon does not change color and is brown. It matures in 3 months and feeds on termites. If it is disturbed, it drops to the ground like a leaf and remains frozen, blending in with the brown leaf litter on the ground.

I don't have a picture...but the reason I post this is perhaps the posts a few weeks back on CB chameleons dropping to the cage floor and playing dead is some sort of throw-back to this behavior.

If anyone has a pic of this species...please post.

 

[Will Hayward]

"West African" is a poor specification. A latin name, or even other common names would help identify which you are speaking of. Could be R. spectrum. Many species use Akinesis (Playing dead) to deter predators.

So although the following species are not likely the ones the info is speaking of, These ones also drop and play dead. I personaly don't have any, nor have kept any R. spectrums, so I'll let someone else post photos of them and any other species they have witnessed showing Akinesis.

r. temporalis:

r. brevicadatus

 

[SierraNevada]

Sorry... no latin available, just a photo and blurp about "akinesis". It is none of the above photos. Plain brown, no stripes, long snout with a darker "nose" slightly protruding. I can take a photo of the photo....if you feel that strongly about the particular species's identification relative to the "west african leaf" indication.

 

[Will Hayward]

They may not change colour, but to some degree they all change tint, bright/darkness, and pattern. So although the photo you have may show no pattern and be only solid brown, its very likely that you could find one of the same species, or even the same specimen, wearing a different suit.

Many of these species exhibit sexual dimorphism also, so the male and females might generally display slightly different colours and patterns. In addition some body features are different, like spikes and noses. The 4 photos above are all males each of their respected species.

If you are describing a nose, and one that is unlike the little funny R.temporalis faces, it is likely a Spectrum.

here is a google search that includes some Spectrum photos (though some included are not spectrums) http://images.google.com/images?svn...ial&q=Rhampholeon+Spectrum&btnG=Search+Images