Nano-chameleon (Brookesia nana)

Short answers

Nano-chameleon: How big does the enclosure need to be?

A small bioactive humid enclosure (~30×30×30 cm) – in practice they are hardly ever kept.

Nano-chameleon: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 18–23 °C (montane cloud forest of northern Madagascar), at night 14–18 °C.

Nano-chameleon: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Very low UVB (shaded forest floor); not essential, weak UVB recommended.

Nano-chameleon: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: unknown (not established in captivity).

Nano-chameleon: Is it suitable for beginners?

No – better suited to experienced keepers (difficulty: Expert).

Climate

Daytime temperature

18–23 °C (montane cloud forest of northern Madagascar)

Night temperature

14–18 °C

Basking spot

—

Humidity

80–95 %

UVB

Very low UVB (shaded forest floor); not essential, weak UVB recommended

Enclosure

Minimum size

a small bioactive humid enclosure (~30×30×30 cm) – in practice they are hardly ever kept

Substrate

Damp leaf litter or moss with a springtail culture

Feeding

Food

The tiniest insects: springtails, mites, the smallest fruit flies

Feeding interval

daily, the smallest feeder insects

Key facts

Adult size

~22 mm (males), ~29 mm (females) – the smallest known reptile

Life expectancy

unknown (not established in captivity)

Origin

The Sorata massif, northern Madagascar, montane rainforest

Protection status

CITES Appendix II; IUCN "Critically Endangered"; NO legal trade, and not present in the hobby

Brumation

Unknown (a montane climate, humid all year)

Cohabitation

Single housing would be the only defensible assumption, because there is no keeping experience with the species; related Brookesia often tolerate permanent contact badly. A pair only temporarily and only in professionally supervised breeding.

Notes

IMPORTANT: this species is NOT kept in herpetoculture – only a few wild specimens are known, it is strictly protected, and there is no legal import. All the figures are analogy estimates from its habitat and related montane Brookesia, and are NOT a real keeping recommendation.

Do you keep this species?

Add your animal to Reptoria – Reptoria reminds you about feeding and shedding. Add your animal for free →

Look for Nano-chameleon (Brookesia nana) in the marketplace →

Related species

• Betsch's leaf chameleon (Brookesia betschi) – Expert
• Brygoo's leaf chameleon (Brookesia brygooi) – Expert
• Decary's leaf chameleon (Brookesia decaryi) – Intermediate
• Ebenau's leaf chameleon (Brookesia ebenaui) – Expert
• Armoured leaf chameleon (Brookesia perarmata) – Expert
• Griveaud's leaf chameleon (Brookesia griveaudi) – Expert
• Karche's leaf chameleon (Brookesia karchei) – Expert
• Minute leaf chameleon (Brookesia minima) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Nano-chameleon (Brookesia nana) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (a small bioactive humid enclosure (~30×30×30 cm) – in practice they are hardly ever kept), substrate (Damp leaf litter or moss with a springtail culture), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.