Tiny lizards found in Madagascar

By Ella Davies

Reporter, BBC Nature

One of the world's tiniest lizards has been discovered by keen-eyed researchers in Madagascar.

The miniature chameleon, Brookesia micra, reaches a maximum length of just 29mm.

German scientists also found a further three new species in the north of the island.

The lizards were limited to very small ranges and scientists are concerned they could be at risk from habitat disturbance.

The discovery is reported in the journal PLoS ONE.

The research team, led by Dr Frank Glaw from the Zoologische Staatssammlung in Munich, have a specialist knowledge of Madagascar's dwarf chameleons having described other species in the past.

They conducted fieldwork at night during the wet season in order to find the easily overlooked animals.

"They mostly live in the leaf litter in the day... But at night they climb up and then you can spot them," said Dr Glaw, explaining that the animals moved up into branches to sleep.

The scientists carefully scanned the most likely habitats with torches and headlamps to find roosting sites.

They found the smallest species on a remote limestone islet and believe it may represent an extreme case of island dwarfism.

This phenomenon occurs when a species becomes smaller over evolutionary time in order to adapt to a restricted habitat such as an island.

According to Dr Glaw there could have been a "two-island effect" in the case of B. micra.

"It is possible that the big island of Madagascar has produced the general group of dwarf chameleons and the very small island has produced the tiny species," he told BBC Nature.

Read on:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17028940

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/58514000/jpg/_58514405_tiny_chameleons_photo1_brookesia_micra_juvenile_on_match_joern_koehler.jpg

A new chameleon species from Madagascar on the brink of extinction - “A tarzan yell for conservation”

30.08.2010

A team of German and Malagasy biologists from the Technische Universität Braunschweig, the University of Antananarivo, the Zoological State Collection of Munich and of the hesssiche Landesmusem Darmstadt discovered a new chameleon species in the rainforests of Madagascar’s east coast.

The species was discovered in a small rainforest fragment very close to the village formerly known as Tarzanville. “Therefore, we dedicated the new species to the fictional forest man "Tarzan" in the hope that this famous name will promote awareness and conservation activities for this apparently highly threatened new species and its habitats, Madagascar's mid-altitude rainforest”, says PhD student Philip – Sebastian Gehring, first author of the description of this new species.

The Tarzan - chameleon should be considered as "Critically Endangered" because its recent distribution area covers probably less than 10 km2, there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of much of its habitat, and none of the habitats are included in the network of protected areas yet. The known habitats of this new chameleon should be protected as soon as possible in order to ensure the survival of this splendid species and other locally endemic endangered amphibian and reptile species occurring in these forest remnants, thereby using the Tarzan chameleon as a flagship species.

Source:

Gehring, P.-S., M. Pabijan,, F. Ratsoavina, J. Köhler, M. Vences & F. Glaw:
A Tarzan yell for conservation: a new chameleon, Calumma tarzan sp. n., proposed as flagship species for the creation of new nature reserves in Madagascar.- Salamandra 46(3) 151–163

http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/biowissenschaften_chemie/a_chameleon_species_madagascar_brink_extinction_a_160554.html

A new chameleon species from Madagascar on the brink of extinction - “A tarzan yell for conservation”

30.08.2010

A team of German and Malagasy biologists from the Technische Universität Braunschweig, the University of Antananarivo, the Zoological State Collection of Munich and of the hesssiche Landesmusem Darmstadt discovered a new chameleon species in the rainforests of Madagascar’s east coast.

The species was discovered in a small rainforest fragment very close to the village formerly known as Tarzanville. “Therefore, we dedicated the new species to the fictional forest man "Tarzan" in the hope that this famous name will promote awareness and conservation activities for this apparently highly threatened new species and its habitats, Madagascar's mid-altitude rainforest”, says PhD student Philip – Sebastian Gehring, first author of the description of this new species.

The Tarzan - chameleon should be considered as "Critically Endangered" because its recent distribution area covers probably less than 10 km2, there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of much of its habitat, and none of the habitats are included in the network of protected areas yet. The known habitats of this new chameleon should be protected as soon as possible in order to ensure the survival of this splendid species and other locally endemic endangered amphibian and reptile species occurring in these forest remnants, thereby using the Tarzan chameleon as a flagship species.

Source:

Gehring, P.-S., M. Pabijan,, F. Ratsoavina, J. Köhler, M. Vences & F. Glaw:
A Tarzan yell for conservation: a new chameleon, Calumma tarzan sp. n., proposed as flagship species for the creation of new nature reserves in Madagascar.- Salamandra 46(3) 151–163

http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/biowissenschaften_chemie/a_chameleon_species_madagascar_brink_extinction_a_160554.html

Snake spits out new species of chameleon at scientist's feet

Latest find in natural world was result of reptile coughing up lizard as conservationist studied monkeys in the jungle

Esther Addley, guardian.co.uk,
Monday 23 November 2009

It was so nearly known as dinner. Instead, a small and not terribly impressive chameleon has become the newest discovery of the natural world, after a startled Tanzanian snake spat a still-undigested specimen at the feet of a British scientist, who identified it as a previously unknown species.

Dr Andrew Marshall, a conservationist from York University, was surveying monkeys in the Magombera forest in Tanzania, when he stumbled across a twig snake which, frightened, coughed up the chameleon and fled. Though a colleague persuaded him not to touch it because of the risk from venom, Marshall suspected it might be a new species, and took a photograph to send to colleagues, who confirmed his suspicions.

Kinyongia magomberae, literally "the chameleon from Magombera", is the result, though Marshall told the Guardian today the fact it wasn't easy to identify is precisely what made it unique.

"The thing is, colour isn't the best thing for telling chameleons apart, since they can change colour for camouflage. They are usually identified based on the patterning and shape of the head, and the arrangement of scales. In this case it's the bulge of scales on its nose."

Happily for Marshall, shortly afterwards he spotted a second chameleon, this time alive, and was able to photograph it. The two creatures were found about six miles apart, which he believes may be the full extent of the area colonised by the extremely rare species. Though he found the specimen in 2005, his paper on the discovery, published this week, puts the find formally on record. "It takes quite a long time to convince the authorities that you have a new species," he said.

Had Marshall hoped it might be named after him? "Oh crumbs, no. The thing is, if you work in an area of conservation importance and you can give a species the name of that area it can really highlight that area. By giving it the name Magombera it raises the importance of the forest." The tiny area of jungle is currently unprotected, he said, and he hopes the find will persuade the Tanzanian authorities to extend protection.

"When we presented our findings to the local village people they were just amazed that the world now knows an animal by the Swahili name Magombera," he said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/23/new-chameleon-species-magombera-tanzania
(Submitted by Richard Muirhead)

See also: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123114648.htm
(Submitted by Tim Chapman)

Snake spits out new species of chameleon at scientist's feet

Latest find in natural world was result of reptile coughing up lizard as conservationist studied monkeys in the jungle

Esther Addley, guardian.co.uk,
Monday 23 November 2009

It was so nearly known as dinner. Instead, a small and not terribly impressive chameleon has become the newest discovery of the natural world, after a startled Tanzanian snake spat a still-undigested specimen at the feet of a British scientist, who identified it as a previously unknown species.

Dr Andrew Marshall, a conservationist from York University, was surveying monkeys in the Magombera forest in Tanzania, when he stumbled across a twig snake which, frightened, coughed up the chameleon and fled. Though a colleague persuaded him not to touch it because of the risk from venom, Marshall suspected it might be a new species, and took a photograph to send to colleagues, who confirmed his suspicions.

Kinyongia magomberae, literally "the chameleon from Magombera", is the result, though Marshall told the Guardian today the fact it wasn't easy to identify is precisely what made it unique.

"The thing is, colour isn't the best thing for telling chameleons apart, since they can change colour for camouflage. They are usually identified based on the patterning and shape of the head, and the arrangement of scales. In this case it's the bulge of scales on its nose."

Happily for Marshall, shortly afterwards he spotted a second chameleon, this time alive, and was able to photograph it. The two creatures were found about six miles apart, which he believes may be the full extent of the area colonised by the extremely rare species. Though he found the specimen in 2005, his paper on the discovery, published this week, puts the find formally on record. "It takes quite a long time to convince the authorities that you have a new species," he said.

Had Marshall hoped it might be named after him? "Oh crumbs, no. The thing is, if you work in an area of conservation importance and you can give a species the name of that area it can really highlight that area. By giving it the name Magombera it raises the importance of the forest." The tiny area of jungle is currently unprotected, he said, and he hopes the find will persuade the Tanzanian authorities to extend protection.

"When we presented our findings to the local village people they were just amazed that the world now knows an animal by the Swahili name Magombera," he said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/23/new-chameleon-species-magombera-tanzania
(Submitted by Richard Muirhead)

See also: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123114648.htm
(Submitted by Tim Chapman)