Tejas Thackeray and team of researchers discover five new dwarf gecko species in Tamil Nadu

Dwarf geckos discovered in Tamil Nadu

In yet another discovery, Tejas Thackeray and a team of researchers have discovered five new species of dwarf geckos in Tamil Nadu which are distributed in isolated massifs in the Shevaroyan landscape.

The findings have been published online on Wednesday in the international journal - Vertebrate Zoology. Ishan Agarwal, Tejas Thackeray and Akshay Khandekar authored the publication.

Talking to mid-day, Wildlife Researcher Tejas Thackeray said, " We, at Thackeray Wildlife Foundation are thrilled to introduce the rainbow geckos of peninsular India. These five stunning new species of dwarf geckos were discovered in Tamil Nadu, India, and are distributed in isolated massifs in the Shevaroyan landscape. They're endemic to their respective type localities and qualify as ‘critically endangered' under the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) criteria. We are thankful to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department for the necessary permits, help, and support as we conducted the fieldwork."

It may be noted that the published work is part of the ongoing project ‘Geckos of Peninsular India' and is a result of work done by TWF's scientists.

Wildlife Researcher Akshay Khandekar told mid-day that the first species that has been named is Cnemaspis salimalii sp. nov. (Salim Ali's dwarf gecko). "This species was described from the high-elevation forests of the Kolli Hills in Namakkal District." As the name suggests, the new species was named after eminent ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali for his immense contributions to field research and conservation in India," said Akshay.

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The second species was named Cnemaspis rudhira sp. nov. (Scarlet dwarf gecko). It was described by Yercaud in Salem district. The species name rudhira is a Sanskrit word that means blood, alluding to the blood-red colouration of this beautiful species.

The third species was named Cnemaspis agayagangai sp. nov. (Agayagangai dwarf gecko). It was described from mid-elevation forests on the eastern slope of Kolli hills in Namakkal district. Named after its type locality, the Agaya Gangai Waterfalls.

The fourth species was named Cnemaspis fantastica sp. nov. (Fantastic dwarf gecko). It was described from mid-elevation forests on the western slope of Kolli hills. The species' name is derived from the Greek phantastikós, alluding to the spectacular colouration of the new species.

The fifth species was named Cnemaspis pachaimalaiensis sp. nov. (Pachaimalai dwarf gecko). It was described from the Pachaimalai hills in the Trichy district and named after its type locality. The new species is the first known endemic vertebrate from Pachaimalai hill.