Brookesia micra is the smallest of four new chameleon species found on the African island of Madagascar. With an average adult length of 2.9 cms from snout to tail, it is among the tiniest reptiles in the world. Scientists think the diminutive new chameleon species might represent extreme cases of island dwarfism, whereby organisms shrink in size due to limited resources on islands.
Brookesia Micra’s scientific name is the same as its common name. Brookesia comes from Joshua Brookes, the British naturalist. Micra is a Latinized form of the Greek word mikros, which means “tiny.” The pronunciation of Micra is MIKra and not MYkra, by the way.
The Brookesia Micra is also different from other chameleons in that the structures of it inner ear resemble that of a turtle more than it does a chameleon. This is probably to help with the reptile’s stability and sense of balance. But like other chameleons, the Brookesia Micra feeds by projecting its tongue to catch its prey. As a small chameleon, it can project its tongue twice the length of its body and snap up prey in a fraction of a second.
Brookesia Micra is not poisonous to other animals nor is it venomous, and its tiny size makes it vulnerable to predators such as larger chameleons like the cat-sized Parson’s chameleon, frogs, birds such as the Malagasy coucal, and whatever small mammals share its island home.
Credit : A-Z-Animals
Picture Credit : Google
