When I was young, I wanted to be a famous scientist, discovering all sorts of new plants and animals. There’s so much biodiversity out there! Now it seems like every corner of the world has been studied and cataloged.
Sometimes, fascinating creatures are still sitting right under our noses.
In 2018, a wildlife biologist was in the forests of North Sumatra. One day, he noticed a dead lizard with a strange feature: a horn, sticking straight ahead out of its snout! It was a nose-horned lizard, part of the family of dragon lizards, and it hadn’t been seen in almost a hundred and thirty years.
This was a rediscovery. But those are also important for science: rediscovering animals from long ago shows us that they’re not extinct, and we can gain information about the creatures’ habits and environment. Then we can call for species conservation.
The story gets better. This was one of the rarest lizards in the world, known to science from just a single specimen in Italy—the only recorded account of this creature, from 1891. It had been brought to Europe by explorer Elio Modigliani, and carefully preserved.
Several days later, the biologist also found a living nose-horned lizard! It was sleeping on a nearby branch, with bright, yellow-green scales. But when stressed, it turned brown.
I guess planet Earth still has some secrets.
Reviewer: Chairunas A. Putra, independent wildlife biologist
Read more
- Discovered in a museum drawer: Simbakubwa kutokaafrika
- The traveling lazarus lizard
- Bungostegos: The lizard that walked upright on all fours
Sources
- ResearchGate - Rediscovery of Modigliani's nose-horned lizard, Harpesaurus modiglianii vinciguerra, 1933 (reptilia: agamidae) after 129 years without observation
- ScienceNews - A nose-horned dragon lizard lost to science for over 100 years has been found
D: When I was young, I wanted to be a famous scientist, discovering all sorts of new plants and animals. There’s so much biodiversity out there! Now it seems like every corner of the world has been studied and cataloged.
Y: Sometimes, fascinating creatures sit right under our noses. In fact, I have a story about a lizard with an unusual nose, and it might cheer you up!
D: Well, I’m always sniffing around for a good story.
Y: In 2018, a wildlife biologist was in the forests of North Sumatra. One day, he noticed a dead lizard with a strange feature: a horn, sticking straight ahead out of its snout! It was a nose-horned lizard, part of the family of dragon lizards, and it hadn’t been seen in almost a hundred and thirty years.
D: So it was a rediscovery. But those are also important for science: rediscovering animals from long ago shows us that they’re not extinct, and we can gain information about the creatures’ habits and environment. Then we can call for species conservation.
Y: Exactly. And the story gets better. This was one of the rarest lizards in the world, known to science from just a single specimen in Italy—the only recorded account of this creature, from 1891. It had been brought to Europe by explorer Elio Modigliani, and carefully preserved.
D: Did the wildlife biologist ever find a living nose-horned lizard?
Y: Several days later, he did! It was sleeping on a nearby branch, with bright, yellow-green scales. But when stressed, it turned brown.
D: Wow. I guess planet Earth still has some secrets.