By Dean Murray via SWNS
A tiny chameleon is big news in the world of lizards.
Researchers have discovered a brand new species in a threatened Madagascar forest.
The newly named Brookesia nofy is described as a miniaturized species of leaf chameleon, measuring around 33 millimeters in length.
A report on the species says it was found in the littoral forest of Madagascar’s east coast, one of the most threatened habitat types of the island.
The study authors, including Miguel Vences from Germany’s Technical University of Braunschweig, were alerted to the lizard’s presence by tourist pictures posted on the web.
Amazingly, their own search for the tiny species – evolved to blend in with foliage – was successful.
The report concludes: “The discovery of B. nofy sp. nov. emphasizes the importance of conserving Madagascar’s last remaining fragments of littoral forest.”
The study has been published in ZooTaxa, a peer-reviewed scientific journal for animal taxonomists.
