The dwarf of Nosy Hara

While constructing a timetable of sorts on how to manage selection experiments and ensuing measures of fecundity and metabolic rate, I realised that the updates for PLoS ONEs releases from yesterday had not been checked in my emails' inbox. While scanning through the journicle titles, the key words "dwarf", "chameleon" and "Madagascar" captured my interest. It's always a pleasure to read about the new and interesting fauna being discovered in Madagascar, and even moreso when the alternative is to frown and fret over mistakes in ones' timetabling of experiments.

The newly discovered leaf chameleon has been declared as "an extreme example of island dwarfism".  For the record, island dwarfism is common; the limited space on islands typically place pressures on its' inhabitants to reproduce faster and deal with limitations in resources in order to survive as a species. The new miniature leaf chameleon was found on a very small islet called Nosy Hara in the north of Madagascar. The animal, endowed with the name Brookesia micra, has a total length in both sexes that is less than 30 mm, making it the tiniest amniote vertebrate in the world. Thankyou, says the Guiness Book of Records.

The tiniest amniote vertebrate in the world is incidentally the cutest as well.

It also turned out that once I had finished my timetabling of my experiment plans, I had also mixed up my fertility and metabolic rate experiments with the wrong generations. I had a very busy afternoon and am at least glad for the chameleons that they never have to endure the self-induced torture of a PhD.

Citation: Glaw F, Köhler J, Townsend TM, Vences M. (2012). Rivaling the world's smallest reptiles: discovery of miniaturized and microendemic new species of leaf chameleons (Brookesia) from northern Madagascar. PLoS ONE 7(2). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031314.

Image: Glaw F, et al. (2012). PLoS ONE. (A) Adult Brookesia micra, (B) and (C) are juvenile B. micra, and (D) is typical habitat on Nosy Hara, Madagascar.