It turns out that dragons are much smaller than we imagined.
A new species of super-small lizards was discovered crawling on the streets of India, which scientists described as a “tiny dragon”.
Although the Agasthyagama border, or northern kangaroo lizard, resembles scaly, fire-breathing beasts, the lizards are nothing more than a creative evader that has evaded human sight for centuries, according to a paper published Thursday in Vertebrate Zoology .
Scientists first noticed northern kangaroo lizards in 2017 while examining a patch of forest near a bus stop in Idukki district, a known biodiversity hotspot.
The small reptiles had a remarkably distinctive red and gold stripe surrounded by blue scales along their throat that was not common in other known species.
The rest of their bodies are more drab, with males displaying a tan body with a pink stripe along the back and a bright orange spot on the tail. Females are redder in color, but with small black dots on the spine.
However, all northern kangaroo lizards have characteristic “strong” claws and pointed snouts, along with “moderately large” heads and a “reduced fifth toe” that make them poor climbers.
Researchers discovered the Agasthyagama border, or northern kangaroo lizard, at a bus stop in India. @EDGEofexistence/Sandeep Das
The tiny creature is considered “small in size” and reaches just 4.3 inches in length between its “pointy” snout and “long” tail.
“We describe a tiny dragon,” said Veerappan Deepak, co-lead author of the study. said in X.
The northern kangaroo lizard is related to other known reptile species, but has some distinct differences, including a “reduced fifth toe” that makes them poor climbers.
The small reptiles had a remarkably distinctive red and gold stripe surrounded by blue scales along their throat that was not common in other known species. @EDGEofexistence/Sandeep Das
While other reptiles evolved to lose their toes, the northern kangaroo lizard learned to stand upright and run on two legs.
The researchers named the new scaly reptiles after the Zoological Society of London’s Globally Endangered and Evolutionarily Distinct Existence program.
“EDGE is doing a lot to support early career conservationists around the world. He is an inspiration and a great motivation for many. And some of our first encounters with this species were while doing field work for the EDGE purple frog project,” said co-author Sandeep Das.
The northern kangaroo lizard can stand upright and run on two legs. @EDGEofexistence/Sandeep Das
So far, the dragon-like creatures have only been seen in the Idukki district, which is about 1,300 miles south of New Delhi.
Researchers believe the animal may have been seen by locals for centuries, but was never properly documented by scientists simply due to the lack of “comprehensive and focused sampling in some areas of the Western Ghats.”
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn