Walking through a darkened forest near a hotel in Madagascar, scientists swept their flashlights across the trail. The beam landed on a tiny, color-changing creature.
It turned out to be a new species.
Researchers headed into the forest near the Palmarium Beach Hotel , a remote ecotourism site, in 2022 and 2023, according to a study published Sept. 10 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. They’d seen online posts about some “miniaturized” lizards living near the hotel and wanted to see the animals for themselves.
During the nighttime searches, researchers encountered over a dozen of these tiny lizards, the study said. They captured two animals and, after taking a closer look, realized they’d discovered a new species: Brookesia nofy, or the Nofy leaf chameleon.
Nofy leaf chameleons are considered “very small,” reaching just over an inch in length, researchers said. They have bumps along their bodies, a “U-shaped ridge” on their head and a “short” tail.
A photo shows the size of the new species. When perched on a person’s finger, the chameleon reaches just past the first knuckle.
Like other chameleons, the new species can change color. When relaxed, Nofy leaf chameleons are “light brown” with darker brown spots scattered across their body. Their tails are a “distinctly lighter” color, and their eyes are “golden.” Photos show this coloring.
When stressed, the chameleon’s body and eyes become “almost black,” the study said.
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Nofy leaf chameleons live in a coastal forest and are “rather abundant in the rainy season.” Researchers found the tiny lizards mating on branches, along a forest trail and perched on twigs near a hotel.
A 2023 video shared on YouTube by Kurts Travel Videos shows the hotel. Its buildings are scattered throughout the forest and connected by trails.
Researchers said they named the new species after the Malagasy word “nofy,” or “dream,” after the Ankanin’ny Nofy area where it was first discovered and after the “ongoing regeneration” efforts in the area, offering a “dream come true” and “chance for sustainable conservation.”
Nofy leaf chameleons are likely a critically endangered species, the study said. So far, they have only been found at two sites in eastern Madagascar.
The new species was identified by its size, body shape, head ridge and other subtle physical features, the study said. A DNA analysis found the new species had an “enormous genetic divergence” from other related chameleons.
The research team included Andolalao Rakotoarison, Alida Frankline Hasiniaina, Frank Glaw and Miguel Vences.
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