All Sizes Matter: Scientists Discover Tiniest and Cutest Chameleon With the Biggest Genitals

CC0 / / Chameleon
Chameleon - Sputnik International, 1920, 03.02.2021
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Some people believe there is nothing interesting about studying little animals, but we know they are completely wrong. Tiny creatures may not be that strong or intelligent, but they will never fail to charm you with their cuteness - or with something else.

A little chameleon species, named Brookesia nana may be the tiniest lizard in the world, but, according to a new study, it has something to be proud of - namely, a giant hemipenis that reaches over 10 percent of their body length. The study on the prickly subject, titled "Extreme miniaturisation of a new amniote vertebrate and insights into the evolution of genital size in chameleons" was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The female lizards measured roughly 28.9 millimetres (1.13 inches long), while the smaller males were 21.6 millimetres (a little less than an inch long) - and yet, their genitals reached 2.5 millimetres (0.09 inches) when fully exposed.

"In these miniaturised species, the smaller males may simply need larger hemipenes to allow for a better mechanical fit that makes successful copulation with the much larger females possible", the paper states.
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