Researchers from the Bombay Natural History society [BNHS] and Indian Institute of Science [IISC Bangalore] have described 12 new species of gecko [Cnemaspis] in the Western Ghats, 10 out of which are not found anywhere in the world.
The geckos have been given some very inventive names, one of which was named after superstar and martial artist Jackie Chan because of its stealth.
BNHS scientist Saunak Pal says that the new species is speedy and scurries on rocks and boulders, sneaking into the tiniest crevices to escape when approached, redolent of martial artist and superstar Jackie Chan.
These twelve new species have been found after four years of sampling in the Western Ghats, a 1600 kilometer sequence of mountains running parallel to the western coast of the southern Indian peninsula. The findings have been published in the journal Zoological Research.
The gecko belongs to the genus “Cnemaspis,” which are known as “day geckos” because of their circular eye pupils, which are more adapted to daytime rather than the slit-like pupils habitually seen in nocturnal geckos.
The study shows that in contrast to other geckos, the day geckos are not good at vertical climbing; even though some of them can be found on trees, a few of them are entirely arboreal, that is, they dwell in either cave or on the forest floor.
About the lizards and the expedition
Most of them measure 3-4 centimeters in length. The mission primarily focused on the wetter and the most diverse region of the Western Ghats, the southernmost portion.
A lot of lab work was done when the team analyzed the gecko DNA and used super-advanced technologies to scan and study the bone structure and confirm if the species was new.
The remaining geckos, too, have some exciting names. The Balerion Forest gecko [ Cnemaspis balerion] has been named after George Martin’s fantasy novel and TV show Game of thrones.
Another species, Cnemaspis Smaug, has been named after the dragon Smaug from JRR Tolkien’s fantasy novel The Hobbit.
The galaxy day gecko, Cnemaspis galaxia, is named for the males’ coloration,” reminiscent of the sun’s haze like yellow on the anterior and bluish-white star-like stars on a black background was added by the BNHS scientist Saunak Pal.
Another species, Cnemaspis wallaceii or Wallace’s forest gecko, was named after scientist Alfred Russell Wallace, who did much to develop the evolution theory.
Zeeshan Mirza, a scientist from the National Center of Biological Sciences, said there was a clear geographical association among groups. He was interested in working out their evolutionary history. Cnemaspis is an enormous genus with three groups spread in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Sri Lanka.
The Threat
The Western Ghats are biodiversity hotspots with many reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and avian species endemic to the place and many protected regions. The treat is the growing Indian population slowly expanding by clearing such forests creating more urban areas, increasing agricultural lands, plantations, and dams.
Climate change is also one of the biggest threats to plants and animals as they experience range shifts that are moving from higher elevations and cooler habitats.
These shifts cause problems for the species that already live in the higher elevations, leaving them no space to move. The scientists have no information on whether the geckos are an endangered species, but they better understand the diversity.
They said it would be easier to understand the species distribution and their conservation status. The Research and study also answer whether the species are critically endangered or do they have a lack of information on them.
