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This Madagascar Chameleon May Be the World's Smallest

There has been a modern-day discovery of a tiny chameleon species. This chameleon is named Brookesia nana. This interesting reptile species was discovered in 2012. Surprisingly, this nano-chameleon species is about the size of a human fingertip!

It was discovered by scientists in northern Madagascar. Unfortunately, this cute creature is an endangered species. The chameleon species is the size of sunflower seed and its small vertebrae have scientists questioning the limits of their body size.

For the chameleon to survive, it eats mites and springtails. They hunt by projecting their tongues out to hopefully hook onto their prey. For their safety, these lizards stay low to the ground of the rainforest and climb on grass blades to find prey and to look out for any nearby danger. They can detect danger through vibrations on the ground and grass blades. Due to its miniature features, the species holds the title of the smallest reptile in the world, making them very difficult to find in the wild.

Scientists have reported only two separate cases of close analysis of the Brookesia nana chameleon, one being a male and the other a female. The CT scans found eggs and ovaries in the female body, which reassures that it's reached adulthood. While there was a success in distinguishing the female as an adult, it was quite difficult to closely examine the genitalia of the male chameleon to determine whether it was grown or not.

Even though this species is critically endangered, scientists believe that there is hope for this unique reptile to survive. Hopefully, their habitat can be saved so that these amazing nano-creatures can survive as long as possible.

[Source: National Geographic]

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