Scientists have found a tiny species of chameleon so small that it can perch comfortably on the tip of a matchstick or a man’s fingernail — with plenty of room to spare.
The wee reptile, named Brookesia micra, is one of four new species of dwarf lizards discovered on the African island nation of Madagascar. The mini-chameleon was found on a small islet off Madagascar called Nosy Hara.
Scientists led by Frank Glaw of the Zoological State Collection of Munich in Germany reported the findings in the journal PLoS One.
“The extreme miniaturization of these dwarf reptiles might be accompanied by numerous specializations of the body plan, and this constitutes a promising field for future research,” said Glaw. “But most urgent is to focus conservation efforts on these and other microendemic species.”
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