The world's tiniest lizard, the Haragua Sphaerodactylus (Sphaerodactylus ariasae), measures just 16 mm from snout to tail, making it the smallest land-dwelling, reproducing vertebrate on Earth.
Recently discovered on Isla Beata, a small forested island in the Caribbean Sea near the Dominican Republic, this lizard is believed to be endemic to this location only.
"Our discovery shows that we still don't know everything about the species on Earth, even in areas very close to the United States," says Blair Hedges, one of the scientists who discovered the lizard.
Hedges notes that the habitat crucial for this species' survival is rapidly disappearing. "People are cutting down trees even in national parks, and if they remove the forest, these lizards and other species will vanish."
Fun Fact: Despite their small size, these lizards are fully formed, with functional eyes, lungs, and other organs, just like their larger counterparts.
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