I believe that a discovery as intriguing as this must pass, not only to worry about preserving this species, but also to conduct studies in its habitat to continue its preservation. I also think it is interesting to carry out studies in its food chain. This discovery could open more doors for even smaller animals. Conducting research on the types of bacteria that maintain their habitat is also very important.

Herpetologist Frank Glaw and colleagues have recently discovered in Madagascar's rainforest the smallest chamaleon species in the world (probably also the smallest reptile in the world): Brookesia nana. Two individuals have been found, male and female. The male has a total body length of 22 mm, while the female, that as in other Brookesia species is bigger, measures 29 mm. It is still not clear why this species of chamaleon is so small, but it could be an extreme case of island dwarfism.

This is an exciting discovery, which makes us think of what richness is hosted in natural envinroments that are currently under threat of irreversible alteration due to human intervention.

This is the original paper:

Article Extreme miniaturization of a new amniote vertebrate and insi...

Thank you dear Rogério Bonette and Raffaele d'Isa,

Your comments are helpful for conservation. As you reported we must give more information about these animals in order to preserve biodiversity. May be this dwarfism is a mechanism of adaptation in this taxa.

They find species like these with a big net. It is swept through the trees over bushes and then the species are counted, cataloged, saved for future study. That's how it's done!

Thank you Lisa for your helpful comments. Do you think that at starting they fixed this objective for this kind of species. Or, sampling was done randomly.

Best wishes,

rookesia nana, also known as the nano-chameleon, is a species of chameleon that is endemic to montane rainforest in northern Madagascar.[2] It was described in 2021, and it could be the world's smallest reptile.[1] It is a blotchy brown color and the adult male measures just 22 mm in total length, and the female 29 mm in total length.[1][3] Unlike most other chameleons, Brookesia nana does not change colors and does not live in trees in the forest, but prefers the forest floor. Like other Brookesia species, females are generally larger than the males. It is a mystery why it is so small when other vertebrates grow as they mature.[4]

The species was discovered by herpetologist Frank Glaw and other German researchers in 2012[1] in the rainforest on the Sorata massif in northern Madagascar. It is likely that the species is endangered due to deforestation in Madagascar.

Brookesia nana could be found in Northern Madagascar

Thank you for your reply.