‘Sluggish’ creature — with red eyes and ‘long’ fingers — discovered as new species
In a forest of southern India sat a “sluggish” creature. Its “long” fingers gripped its rock perch, and its red eyes scanned the area. Something about the “dwarf”-like animal caught the attention of visiting scientists.
And for good reason. It turned out to be a new species.
Researchers visited a mountainous area of Tamil Nadu in 2022 as part of a large-scale project to survey the state’s diverse lizard populations, according to a study published June 14 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa.
During the visits, researchers found dozens of “sluggish” and unfamiliar-looking geckos, the study said. They captured nine of these animals and, taking a closer look, realized they’d discovered a new species: Cnemaspis anaimalaiensis, or the Anaimalai dwarf gecko.
Anaimalai dwarf geckos are considered “medium-sized,” reaching up to 3.8 inches in length, the study said. They have “slender” bodies with “long” fingers and “strong” claws. Their “short” heads have “small” red eyes and “deep” ear openings.
A photo shows the “khaki” coloring of the new species. The lizard has a yellow stripe down its back, a scattering of brown and white blotches and “peach spots” on its limbs.
Another photo shows an Anaimalai dwarf gecko with brighter coloring. Its spots appear almost neon orange.
Anaimalai dwarf geckos live in a “dense” evergreen forest between elevations of about 4,300 and 4,900 feet, the study said. The lizards were “relatively sluggish when approached” and found on rocks during the day.
Researchers said they named the new species after the Anaimalai Hills where it was discovered and, so far, the only area where it has been found. These mountainous hills are in Tamil Nadu and a roughly 1,600-mile drive south of New Delhi.
The new species was identified by its size, scale pattern, coloring and other physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 5% genetic divergence from other dwarf geckos.
The research team included Akshay Khandekar, Tejas Thackeray and Ishan Agarwal.
The team also discovered four more new species: Agamalai dwarf gecko, Anuradha’s dwarf gecko, Tenkasi dwarf gecko and Valparai dwarf gecko.
This story was originally published June 20, 2024 at 1:19 PM with the headline "‘Sluggish’ creature — with red eyes and ‘long’ fingers — discovered as new species."
