World’s smallest reptile named ‘Nano-Chameleon’ has been discovered by the scientists. It is the smallest out of 11,500 known species of reptiles.Nano-Chameleons were earlier victims of deforestation; however their habitat is currently in a protected state.The scientists claim that they have discovered a sunflower seed-sized subspecies of Chameleon that may be regarded as the smallest reptile on Earth.
Two of the miniature lizards, one male and one female, were discovered by a German Madagascan expedition team in northern Madagascar.The male Brookesia nana which is also known as Nano-Chameleon, has a body which is only 13.5 mm (0.53 inches) long, making it the smallest of all the roughly 11,500 known species of reptiles, the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology in Munich said. Its total length from nose to tail is just less than 22 mm (0.87 inch).
The female Nano-Chameleon is much larger than the male Nano-Chameleon. It has an overall length of 29 mm, the research institute said, adding that the scientists couldn’t find further specimens of the new subspecies even after putting great efforts.The species’ closest relative is the slightly larger Brookesia micra, whose discovery was announced in the year 2012.
Scientists assume that the lizard’s habitat is small, as is the case for similar subspecies.‘The Nano-Chameleon’s habitat has unfortunately been subject to deforestation, but the area was placed under protection recently, hence the species will survive,’ Oliver Hawlitschek, a scientist at the Center of Natural History in Hamburg said.
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