B. thieli is a timid chameleon, locally abundant in the rain forest floor of eastern Madagascar. Females grow to 4 inches. Males are slightly smaller. Two triangular plates above the eyes project from a flattened head with a low casque. Two small horns project from the snout, half way between the eyes and rostrum. A row of thorns is apparent on each side of the backbone from the tail to the pelvis. Coloration is primarily gray, yellow-brown and brown. Males exhibit a hemipenial bulge (i.e., swollen tail base) and have tails that are slightly longer than their bodies. Little is known about their captive care but they are oviparous, lay 2 eggs per clutch and typically lay 2 clutches per year. Sexually maturity is reached at approximately 5 months.
References
Klaver, C. & W. Boehme. 1997. Chamaeleonidae.
Das Tierreich, 112: i-xiv' 1 - 85. Verlag Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin, New York.
Martin, J., 1992. Masters of Disguise: A Natural History of Chameleons. Facts On File, Inc., New York, NY.
Necas, P. 1999. Chameleons: Nature's Hidden Jewels. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, FL.
Raw, L. R. G., 1976. A survey of the dwarf chameleons of Natal, South Africa, with descriptions of three new species
(Sauria: Chamaeleonidae), Durban Museum
Novitates 11 (7): 139-161.
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