The description below was extracted from Tolley, Tilbury and Marius (2022): Male: Colouration: Top and sides of head pale yellow, cranial crests and upper surfaces of enlarged tubercles dark brown to black. Eye turret pale yellow with a short dark horizontal bar through the eye. Gular region, grooves and throat pale yellow. The tubercles of the nape are green-yellow. Upper and lower temporal fossae yellow/brown. Dorsal crest and the enlarged cones along the para-vertebral zone are muddy red to yellowish with a broad light band extending from the neck along the upper flank, narrowing and fading as it extends posteriorly towards the pelvic area. The lower flank is a light blue-green. Gular lobes off-white, outer surfaces of limbs and dorsum of tail reddish brown. Belly and ventral side of the tail off-white. When stressed, the light upper flank band darkens. Described only from males.

The information below was extracted from Tolley, Tilbury and Burger (2022): Except B. damaranum, adults of this species differ from all other species of Bradypodion by having a much more prominent dorsal crest along the tail than along the vertebral keel. The principal differences between this species and B. damaranum are that B. venustum appears to smaller bodied and less rugose with a maximum recorded snout-vent length of 73 mm (vs 83 mm in B. damaranum). Other differences are that B. venustum lacks the prominent tubercles arrayed between the gular grooves on the throat, lacks an enlarged pectoral tubercle above the foreleg insertion at the shoulder and also lacks the sometimes extensive, unpigmented areas of finely granular skin around the foreleg insertion, and along the flanks and subvertebral zones, as well as lacking a prominent midflank row of enlarged tubercles.

The type specimen (PEM R26336) is an adult male with everted hemipenes. This specimen was collected on 2 August 2017 by Andrew Turner and Kier Lynch from Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, Western Cape Province, South Africa (−33.987, 20.806). Paratypes for this species are also available; all of are within the Western Cape Province, South Africa. • PEM R5999, adult male. Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve (−33.983, 20.815, 435 m asl). Collected on 1 November 2003 by Pierre van der Berg and CapeNature staff • SAM 47811, juvenile male. Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve (−33.984, 20.819, 335 m asl). Collected on 15 November 1980 by Atherton de Villiers and Richard Boycott • PEM R26337, subadult male. Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve (−33.982; 20.884). Collected on 19 October 2020 by Krystal Tolley and CapeNature staff.

This species was previously thought to be an isolated population of Bradypodion damaranum, Knysna dwarf chameleon, as it is suspected the Knysna and Grootvadersbosch forests were connected millions of years ago. However, molecular evidence revealed the two species do not share a most recent common ancestor and that the vicariance event that separated the two forest species predated the formation of the ecological barrier that separated the forest (Tolley, Tilbury and Burger, 2022).

South Africa (Tolley, Tilbury and Burger, 2022).

Western Cape Province: foothills of Langeberg Mountains approximately 40 km west of Swellendam, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve (Tolley, Tilbury & Burger, 2022).

Like other Bradypodion, the Grootvadersbosch dwarf chameleon is only active during the day. They are very slow moving animals; with their primary mode of movement being walking and climbing. They have at least one foot touching the surface during movement and their tail assists in locomotion by providing stability and balance when moving through vegetation and between gap areas.

Carnivore - Invertivore (invertebrate-eating)

No dietary analysis has been conducted on this species, but it is believed to be similar to other dwarf chameleons, which are predominantly insectivorous, but also consume other invertebrates (da Silva et al., 2016). Dwarf chameleons are typically highly preyed upon by spiders, snakes, and birds (Tolley and Burger, 2007).

Like other Bradypodion species, Grootvadersbosch dwarf chameleons are assumed to breed year round, store sperm, and be viviparous (Tolley et al., 2014). They retain their eggs in the maternal reproductive tract until development is complete, and then give live birth. Immediately after birth, newborn chameleons are self-sufficient.

Like all dwarf chameleons, these chameleons are believed to be predominantly solitary animals, tending to avoid engaging with other chameleons. When another dwarf chameleon is encountered, individuals tend to move away from each other; however, displaying and posturing may be done to avoid further contact. There are rare occasions where the encounter escalates to a fight in which they bite each other until one concedes defeat and turns away (Burrage, 1973).

Forest.