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Thursday, 16 February 2012

Tiny lizards found in Madagascar

A juvenile of Brookesia micra standing on the head of a match (c) Jorn Kohler~
Miniature juveniles can stand on the head of a match!


One of the world's tiniest lizards has been discovered by keen-eyed researchers in Madagascar.
The miniature chameleon, Brookesia micra, reaches a maximum length of just 29mm.
German scientists also found a further three new species in the north of the island.
The lizards were limited to very small ranges and scientists are concerned they could be at risk from habitat disturbance.
They're so tiny!

A juvenile of Brookesia micra on a thumb nail (c) Frank Glaw

They found the smallest species on a remote limestone islet and believe it may represent an extreme case of island dwarfism.
This phenomenon occurs when a species becomes smaller over evolutionary time in order to adapt to a restricted habitat such as an island.

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