Did you know the smallest reptile in the world is as small as a sunflower seed?
The current smallest reptile is a chameleon called Brookesia nana. It is only 13.5mm in body length (tail not included) – as small as a sunflower seed. the tiny reptile is brown in colour and unlike many other chameleon is unable to change colour. The species was discovered in 2021 in northern Madagascar.
Until recently, the world record holder for the teeniest lizard was a Caribbean gecko called the Jaragua dwarf gecko. It comes in at 16-18mm (again, tail not included) and lives in the leaf litter on the forest floor – a habitat that seems to be common for micro lizards.
Main image © Frank Glaw, Jörn Köhler, Oliver Hawlitschek, Fanomezana M. Ratsoavina, Andolalao Rakotoarison, Mark D. Scherz & Miguel Vences, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons