World's smallest reptile discovered in Madagascar
Scientists found what could be the world's smallest reptile in the mountains in northern Madagascar. It is a chameleon the size of a sunflower seed. Chameleons are usually 40cm long. The new ones are just 22mm long. At first, the scientists thought the chameleons were juveniles. They later found they were fully-grown adults. The scientists called the lizards "nano-chameleons". The scientists tried to find more of them, but didn't find any. Madagascar has two-thirds of the world's chameleons. They may come from there. The chameleon's survival is in danger because of deforestation. A scientist said: "Their habitat has…been subject to deforestation, but the area was placed under protection recently, so the species will survive." A lot of Madagascar's rainforest could disappear by 2070 if deforestation does not slow down. This would put many of the island's unique species in danger. |