The world’s smallest lizard which had been considered extinct has now been seen in a tropical Colombian forest for the first time in seven years thanks to a project sponsored by the Zoological Society of London.
A group of researchers found specimens of Lepidoblepharis miyatai gecko, the smallest lizard on Earthatai in the Tayrona National Natural Park, a protected area in Colombia’s northern Caribbean region.
The snaps show the tiny lizards which are reportedly the size of a 100-COP coin and were reportedly believed to have been extinct since 2013.
Reports state that the Colombian Natural Parks Union confirmed this week that the lizards were found by a group of anthropologists, biologists and professional filmmakers who were participating in an audiovisual project about the species sponsored by the Zoological Society of London as part of the research and conservative initiative EDGE of Existence programme.
Researcher Liliana Saboya Acosta said: “Finding this lizard in the leaf litter was like looking for a needle in a haystack, so the researchers used quadrants where they removed all the material from the ground until they found the individuals”
Saboya Acosta added: “For more than 52 years this species went unnoticed and because no work had been done on the population status, it was considered possibly extinct.”
The find will allow experts to research the species and the habitat where they live which is limited to 214 square kilometres (83 square miles) and contains threatened species of vegetation, local media reported.
The Lepidoblepharis miyatai is listed as “in critical danger and possibly extinct” in The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List as it had not been seen since 2013.
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Story By: Jonathan Macias, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Newsflash
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