Six new lizard species found in Northeast, including 2 from Arunachal
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Itanagar: Scientists and researchers have recently discovered six new species of bent-toed geckos (genus Cyrtodactylus) in northeast India.
The discoveries were made in tiger reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, reserved forests, and abandoned jhum areas of six northeastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram, earlier this month.
The finding was published in the latest issue of the journal Vertebrate Zoology.
Scientists and researchers from Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment, and the London (England)-based Natural History Museum discovered the new species, two each from Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland and one each from Manipur and Mizoram, respectively.
The discovery of bent-toed geckos was made using morphological characteristics supported by molecular analyses, a communiqué from the WTI said here.
The two new species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh include Namdapha and Siang bent-toed geckos.
The Namdapha species was discovered in the Namdapha tiger reserve, which is widespread within the lowland evergreen forests of Namdapha and Kamlang tiger reserves.
These nocturnal geckos were mostly seen perching among vegetation along the forest streams of 25 Mile, Burma Nullah, Gibbons Land, Motijheel Trail, and Hornbill Camp of the Tiger Reserve.
In Kamlang, the species was sighted in rocks and vegetation near the Kamlang River at Sinabrai. This is the fourth new species discovered by the researchers of the WII in the last two years, highlighting the hyperdiversity of the Namdapha-Kamlang landscape.
The second species from Arunachal comes from the Siang valley, and it was named after the river valley known for its unique biodiversity.
The Barail Hills bent-toed gecko is currently known only from the locality in the Peren district of Nagaland. The species was discovered in the Athibung reserve forest, which falls on the upper reaches of the Barail hill range, which provides a mountainous corridor between the Naga Hills and Assam. The forest type is tropical to subtropical cloud forest with relatively little anthropogenic pressure.
The Kiphire bent-toed gecko was discovered in Kiphire district, Nagaland, at an elevation of 1300 m above sea level. The area is characterised as a subtropical forest with regenerating jhum forests.
The Nengpui bent-toed gecko was discovered in the Ngengpui wildlife sanctuary in Lawngtlai district of Mizoram, which is one of the protected areas of India.
The Manipur bent-toed gecko was discovered near Lamdan Kabui village in Manipur. It was perched on a shrub at a height of approximately 1.5 m, on the road connecting Leimatak and Charoikhullen.
The discoveries from the tiger reserves and the wildlife sanctuaries flag the issue of poorly known biodiversity status within the Northeast, while the discovery of new species from the reserved forests and abandoned jhum areas showcases the importance of such less prioritised areas in holding key components of biodiversity, the communiqué said.
The description of six new species of the bent-toed gecko from northeastern India demonstrates the hidden diversity and reiterates the need for further exploration of the region, the WII said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pema Khandu has praised the discovery and called for conservation efforts.
"Arunachal Pradesh is a treasure trove of biodiversity, boasting an array of fauna. The discovery of two species of lizard by scientists and researchers from @wii_india, @atree_org, and @NHM_London further adds to our remarkable diversity. Let us conserve them for future generations," Khandu posted in X.
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