Scientists believe they’ve found what could be the smallest reptile on Earth. Check out the sunflower seed-sized chameleon.
Scientists believe they may have discovered the smallest reptile on earth – a chameleon subspecies that is the size of a seed.
The BBC reports that the two of the tiny lizards were discovered by a German-Madagascan expedition team in Madagascar.
The male Brookesia nana, or nano-chameleon, has a body of just 13.5mm.
This makes it the smallest of about 11,500 known species of reptiles, according to the Bavarian State collection of Zoology in Munich.
Its length from top to tail is 22mm (0.86in).
The female is far bigger at around 29mm, the institute said, adding that other specimens were yet to be located, despite “great effort”.
“The new chameleon is only known from a degraded montane rainforest in northern Madagascar and might be threatened by extinction,” said the Scientific Reports journal.
Oliver Hawlitschek, a scientist at the Center of Natural History in Hamburg, said: “The nano-chameleon’s habitat has unfortunately been subject to deforestation, but the area was placed under protection recently, so the species will survive.”
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Posted: February 6, 2021 by admin
Tiny Chameleon Is Smallest Reptile
Scientists believe they’ve found what could be the smallest reptile on Earth. Check out the sunflower seed-sized chameleon.
Scientists believe they may have discovered the smallest reptile on earth – a chameleon subspecies that is the size of a seed.
The BBC reports that the two of the tiny lizards were discovered by a German-Madagascan expedition team in Madagascar.
The male Brookesia nana, or nano-chameleon, has a body of just 13.5mm.
This makes it the smallest of about 11,500 known species of reptiles, according to the Bavarian State collection of Zoology in Munich.
Its length from top to tail is 22mm (0.86in).
The female is far bigger at around 29mm, the institute said, adding that other specimens were yet to be located, despite “great effort”.
“The new chameleon is only known from a degraded montane rainforest in northern Madagascar and might be threatened by extinction,” said the Scientific Reports journal.
Oliver Hawlitschek, a scientist at the Center of Natural History in Hamburg, said: “The nano-chameleon’s habitat has unfortunately been subject to deforestation, but the area was placed under protection recently, so the species will survive.”
Still of nano-chameleon
Category: SDG Goal 15: Life on Land Tags: chameleon, Madagascar
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