It turns out that dragons are much smaller than we imagined.
A new species of super-tiny lizard has been found crawling through the streets of India, described by scientists as “little dragons.”
Although the Agasthyagama edge – or northern kangaroo lizard – looks like a scaly, fire-breathing beast, the lizard is nothing more than a creative evasive creature that has eluded human sight for centuries, according to a paper published Thursday in Vertebrate Zoology.
Scientists first spotted the northern kangaroo lizard in 2017 while surveying a forest area near a bus stand in Idukki District, a well-known biodiversity hotspot.
The small reptiles have a distinctive red and gold color pattern surrounded by blue scales along their throats that are not common in other known species.
The rest of their bodies are more monotonous, with males displaying a tan body with pink stripes along their backs and bright orange patches on their tails. The female is more red, but with a small black dot on her spine.
All northern kangaroo lizards, however, have their trademark “strong” claws and pointed snouts, along with “moderately large” heads and “reduced fifth toes” that make them poor climbers.
Researchers found the edge of an Agasthyagama, or northern kangaroo lizard, at a bus stop in India. @EDGEofExistence/Sandeep Das
The tiny creature is considered “small in size”, reaching just 4.3 inches in length between its “pointy” snout and “long” tail.
“We are describing a small dragon,” Veerappan Deepak, co-lead author of the study, said to X.
Northern kangaroo lizards are related to other known reptile species, but have several distinct differences, including a “reduced fifth toe” that makes them poor climbers.
The small reptiles have a distinctive red and gold color pattern surrounded by blue scales along their throats that are not common in other known species. @EDGEofExistence/Sandeep Das
As other reptiles evolved to lose their toes, the northern kangaroo learned how to stand upright and run on two legs.
Researchers named the new scaly reptile in conjunction with the Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered of Existence program through the Zoological Society of London.
“EDGE is doing so much to support early career conservation around the world. It is a huge inspiration and motivation for many people. And some of our first encounters with this species were while doing fieldwork for the EDGE project on the Purple Frog,” 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 creature has only been seen in Idukki district, which is about 1,300 miles south of New Delhi.
Researchers think the animal may have been seen by locals for centuries, but was never properly documented by scientists simply due to a lack of “comprehensive and focused sampling in several areas of the Western Ghats.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
