Scientist Ngo Van Tri from the HCM City Tropical Biology Institute on April 2 told VietNamNet that one more species of lizard had been discovered at Nui Chua National Park in the central province of Ninh Thuan.

The new species of lizard is named AaronBauer РDixonius aaronbaueri sp.n.Ng̫&Ziegler, 2009.

The new species of lizard was discovered by Ngo Van Tri and Dr. Thomas Ziegler from the Cologne Zoo, Germany. The discovery was published in a German scientific magazine named “Fauno System and Evolution” dated March 17, 2009.

This species of lizard is named AaronBauer – Dixonius aaronbaueri sp.n.Ngô&Ziegler, 2009, after Professor Aaron Bauer from Villanova University, Pennsylvania, the US, who is called the “King of lizards”.

This is the smallest species of lizard discovered so far. Its maximum length is 3.86cm and it has an orange colour. This species of lizard has feet cleaved in two.

There are only five species of lizards which have feet cleaved in two, including four in Vietnam and one in Thailand. This species of lizard is being threatened by a tourism development project at Nui Chua National Park.

Mai Loan

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