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chameleon reptile :: Article Creator

'Smallest Reptile On Earth' Discovered In Madagascar

The Brookesia has a body just 13.5mm long

Scientists believe they may have discovered the smallest reptile on earth - a chameleon subspecies that is the size of a seed.

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."

Researchers found that it hunts for mites on the rainforest floor and hides from predators at night in blades of grass.

In a blog post, Dr Mark Scherz, one of the researchers involved in the discovery, called it "a spectacular case of extreme miniaturisation".

The forests where the Brookesia were located are still well connected with others across the north of the island, he said.

"So this tiny new chameleon violates the pattern of the smallest species being found on small islands. That suggests that something else is allowing/causing these chameleons to miniaturise," he added.

In their report, scientists recommended that the chameleon be listed as critically endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species to help protect it and its habitat.

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World's smallest frog discovered

Meller's Chameleon

Common Name: Meller's Chameleon Scientific Name: Trioceros melleri Average Life Span In The Wild: 12 years Size relative to a teacup: IUCN Red List Status:? Least concern

Least Concern Extinct

Current Population Trend: Unknown

The Meller's chameleon is the largest of the chameleons not native to Madagascar. Their stout bodies can grow to be up to two feet long and weigh more than a pound.

Unique "Horn"

Meller's distinguish themselves from their universally bizarre-looking cousins with a single small horn protruding from the front of their snouts. This and their size earn them the common name "giant one-horned chameleon."

Population Range

They are fairly common in the savanna of East Africa, including Malawi, northern Mozambique, and Tanzania. Almost one-half of the world's chameleons live on the island of Madagascar.

Color Changing

As with all chameleons, Meller's will change colors in response to stress and to communicate with other chameleons. Their normal appearance is deep green with yellow stripes and random black spots. Females are slightly smaller, but are otherwise indistinguishable from males.

Diet

They subsist on insects and small birds, using their camouflage and a lightning-fast, catapulting tongue, which can be up to 20 inches long, to ambush prey.

In Captivity

Exotic pet enthusiasts often attempt to keep Meller's chameleons as pets. However, they are highly susceptible to even the slightest level of stress and are very difficult to care for in captivity. In the wild, they can live as long as 12 years.


Chameleon Body Paint Optical Illusion

Video It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Science An curved arrow pointing right. The letter F. An curved arrow pointing right. The letter F.

Description An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down.

Italian artist Johannes Stötter created an exquisite optical illusion with his piece "The Chameleon" by using body paint and precise staging to transform two models into a very realistic-looking reptile.

The body paint process took Stötter about six hours with the help of an assistant. 

Visit his website to explore more of Johannes Stötter's art.

Produced by Jason Gaines. Video courtesy of Associated Press and Caters News.

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