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Updated February 3rd, 2021 at 17:25 IST

Nano-Chameleon discovered: World's smallest reptile can fit your fingertip

Scientists have discovered a new species of chameleon in a rainforest in Madagascar. Termed as a ‘nano chameleon’, the species is of a size of a sunflower seed.

Reported by: Akanksha Arora
Nano-Chameleon
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Scientists have discovered a new species of chameleon in a rainforest in northern Madagascar. Termed as a ‘nano chameleon’, the species is of a size of a sunflower seed and it fits on the tip of a finger and can be considered as the smallest reptile in the world. However, the official name of the species is Brookesia nana and it is so tiny that it can survive on the diet of mites and springtails, which it is said to hunt on its own. 

Tiny chameleons discovered

As per a study published in the journal Nature, most of these are rainforest species as they inhibit mostly forests in lowlands and rarely at higher elevations. Various other species prefer dry forest, especially on karstic underground. The reptile possesses a projectile tongue which it uses to nab prey. Also, they have found a successful niche in their native habitat. They hunt by the day and retreat to the safety of grass blades at night. If there is a larger predator in the dark, the grass stalk alerts the chameleon of danger and it drops off into the underbrush. 

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Two species have been observed by the scientists so far, which includes, one male species and one female species. Both of these species were captured in 2012 on an expedition into a cluster of cool, rainy mountains which are called the Sorata massif. Generalizing the finding is a difficult task as of now, since only two species have been discovered. However, it is possible that other chameleons in this species would be larger, or smaller. 

(Image Credits: Nature.com)

(Image Credits: Nature.com)

12 new species 

In another significant development, scientists have discovered 12 new species “hiding in the deep”. According to BBC, the scientists said that the newly discovered sea mosses, mollusks and corals had eluded previously because the seafloor is so unexplored. They even warned that the newly discovered species could already be under threat from climate change as the carbon dioxide absorbed by the ocean is making it more acidic, causing coral skeletons in particular to corrode. 

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In addition to the 12 new species, researchers also found approximately 35 new records of species in areas where they were previously unknown. While speaking to the media outlet, Professor George Wolff, who is an ocean chemist and was involved in the project, pointed out that there are better maps of the surface of the Moon and Mars than of the seafloor.

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(Image Credits: RepresentativeImage)

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Published February 3rd, 2021 at 17:28 IST

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