Criticallyendangered speciesoften exist in small fragmented population . These can be separated by oceans or mountain range , or even just length . One of the world ’s rarest reptilian , the Belalanda chamaeleon , subsist in an expanse of just 4 square kilometers ( 1.5 hearty miles ) .
The Belalanda chamaeleon ( Furcifer belalandaensis ) is endemic toMadagascarbut almost all of its rude habitat has been lost . antecedently the universe was targeted for the favorite business deal before the1994 trade wind suspension ; now , the main scourge against the species is the loss of large trees for charcoal . The universe exists on non - native trees or remnants of the forest that survive .
“ The Belalanda chameleon was first describe in 1970 . As of 2025 , it is list among the most critically endangered species worldwide due to terrible home ground expiration . This specie has one of the smallest known distributions of any land vertebrate , ” said Hajaniaina Rasoloarison , team leader , in astatement .
A team was attempt to meet data on the distribution of thechameleonin the field and were aid by local community . This led to the team fall upon two males and one female Belalanda chamaeleon in a new location around 5 km ( 3 mile ) from where they would require to see them .
“ Despite growing concerns , very limited entropy has been roll up in the past two decades about its ecological requirements and home ground orbit . Worryingly , no individuals had been recorded in the metal money ’ native habitat since November 2024 . This finding brings a gleam of Leslie Townes Hope for the preservation of this rare and alone species , ” continued Rasoloarison .
Now that this young population has been discovered , work is underway to protect these individuals and continue to research the area for more potential hide chameleons . The team plans to solve with local communities to protect the habitats , with a universe denseness count on a goal for the end of the labor .
“ There are more than 200 chameleonspecieson Earth , and this beautiful Chamaeleon is one of the rarest . The threat to its home ground are worsening so , without the efforts of dedicated conservationist such as Haja , this mintage would almost sure enough go extinct in our lifetime . We now have Bob Hope for its endurance , ” allege David Emmett , Biodiversity Partnerships Manager at the Hempel Foundation .
