BERLIN (AP) – It fits on the tip of a human finger, but this chameleon could make a big noise.
Scientists from Madagascar and Germany say a newly discovered species of chameleon is a candidate for the title of the world’s smallest reptile.
Frank Glaw, who was part of the international team of researchers who classified the new species and named it Brookesia nana, said the body of the male specimen appeared to be only 13.5 millimeters long (just over 1/2 inch). )
This is at least 1.5 millimeters smaller than the previous record holder, another member of the Brookesia family.
Glaw, a reptile expert at the Bavarian State Zoological Collection in Munich, said the tiny male and slightly larger female were seen on a mountain by a local guide during a 2012 expedition.
“You really have to kneel down to find them,” Glaw told The Associated Press in a telephone interview on Friday. “They are obviously camouflaged and move very slowly.”
Glaw and colleagues performed a CT scan of the female and found that it contained two eggs, confirming that she was an adult.
For the man, the researchers looked closely at his “well-developed” genitals, which in chameleons come in pairs known as hemipenes.
They found that the genitals of the Brookesia nana specimen were nearly one-fifth the size of its body, possibly to allow it to mate with the larger female.
“I have little doubt that he is an adult man,” said Glaw. “If we had a couple mating, it would obviously be a better match.”
Confirming Brookesia nana as the smallest species of reptile will require finding more of them, which could take several years, he said.
The team survey was recently published in Scientific Reports.
Chameleons are threatened by deforestation in Madagascar, which is home to countless species.
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