Scientists Discover World's Smallest Known Reptile Which They Named The 'Nano-Chameleon'

Madagascar island is known for its unusual wildlife, including a newcomer to the scene: the Brookesia nana. This unusual reptile, also known as the nano-chameleon, can fit on the tip of a human finger and they are the smallest known reptile in existence. As of this time, they have only found two nano-chameleons, but interestingly, one is a male and one is a female. They are able to analyze the difference between the sexes and there are some differences to be found.

Scientists from the Bavarian state collection of zoology led the team of international participants. They wanted to make sure that the chameleons were fully grown, so they did CT scans and found that the female had eggs and the male had fully-developed genitalia. That suggests that both of the reptiles are mature. Speaking of the male's genitalia, they were not necessarily miniature when compared to the rest of the body. They were almost 20% of the entire length of the body, and that would be necessary considering the female's larger size so mating is possible. It is something known as the "sexual size dismorphia," as the female is significantly larger.