Tiny chameleon a contender for title of smallest reptile

BERLIN (AP) — It fits on a human fingertip, but this chameleon could make a big splash.

Scientists from Madagascar and Germany say a newly discovered species of chameleon is a contender for the title of world’s smallest reptile.

Frank Glaw, who was part of the international team of researchers that classified the new species and named it Brookesia nana said the body of the male specimen appeared to be just 13.5-millimeters-long (a little more than a 1/2-inch.)

That’s at least 1.5 millimeters smaller than the previous record holder, another member of the Brookesia family.

Glaw and his colleagues performed a CT scan of the female and discovered that it harbored two eggs, confirming that it was an adult.

Confirming Brookesia nana as the smallest reptile species will require finding more of them, which might take several years, he said.

The team’s research was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Chameleons are threatened by deforestation on Madagascar, which is home to numerous species.