World’s Smallest Reptile discovered in Madagascar 

World’s Smallest Reptile discovered in Madagascar 

Part of: GS Prelims and GS- III – Biodiversity

In news

• A chameleon discovered in Madagascar by scientists from Germany and Madagascar may be the world’s smallest adult reptile. 
• The discovery has been reported in the journal Scientific Reports.

Key takeaways 

• The team found one male and one female of the species, named Brookesia nana, during an expedition in 2012. 
• The male has a length (snout to vent) of 13.5 mm and a total length of 21.6 mm when the tail is included.
• Previously, the chameleon species Brookesia Micra was thought to be the smallest. 

Do you know? 

• The longest, the reticulated python, at 6.25 m is almost as long as 289 Brookesia nanas.

• Madagascar is home to tiny lizards and also the smallest species of snakes. 
• One possible reason for such small species is the so-called “island effect” that causes species on small islands to get smaller.