Distribution :

 

This species occurs in eastern Tanzania , in northeastern Kenya , in Somalia and in Ethiopia 1 .

 

Description :

 

It is a small chameleon, reaching up to 8 centimeters. It is color rather dull, gray more or less dark brown or cream, sometimes with small dark lines. It has the appearance of a dead leaf with a very rounded and flattened laterally. The tail is short (maximum 2 cm) and fine, but is prehensile and help to set the fine lower branches where it moves.

 

Females are slightly larger and massive than males. They have a slightly longer tail and especially thicker at the base, corresponding to housing hemipenis .

 

They have a fairly short shelf life, estimated at 3 years.

 

Ethology :

 

These are very slow reptiles, less active, which live on the ground covered with dead leaves rainforests. They sometimes climb on plants but never venture height.

 

They are diurnal and hunt insects or other arthropods small and drink water deposited by dew on leaves on the ground.

 

The females are oviparous and lay small eggs very ovoid on the floor. They incubate for a little less than two months on average, which is relatively short compared to most other chameleons. Females lay regularly during the year.

 

Taxonomy :

 

This species was previously classified in the genus Rhampholeon (as the Rhampholeon kerstenii ), but has been classified as a separate genre in 2004 with two other species 2 .

 

List of subspecies :

 

According Reptarium Reptile Database (3 September 2014) 3  :

-Rieppeleon kerstenii kerstenii ( Peters , 1868)

-Rieppeleon kerstenii robecchii ( Boulenger , 1891)