‘Long’-fingered creature found lurking under rocks in India. It’s a new species
Along a forest path in southern India, a “long”-fingered creature sat under some rocks. 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 rocky forest in 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 their visit, researchers encountered a “large number” of unfamiliar-looking geckos. They captured 11 of these animals and, after taking a closer look, realized they’d discovered a new species: Cnemaspis agamalaiensis, or the Agamalai dwarf gecko.
Agamalai dwarf geckos are considered “medium-sized,” reaching just under 4 inches in length, the study said. They have “short” and “wide” heads with “small,” “reddish” eyes. Their “slender” limbs have “long” fingers with “strong” claws.
A photo shows the “mottled yellow and brown” coloring of a male Agamalai dwarf gecko. The lizard’s upper body is straw yellow while its lower half is blue-gray.
Females of the new species have a “lighter” coloring, researchers said. Another photo shows an “olive-brown” female gecko.
Agamalai dwarf geckos live in an evergreen forest between elevations of 4,600 and 5,600 feet, the study said. The lizards were found perched on rocks and lurking “under rock piles in well shaded areas along the forest path.”
Researchers said they named the new species after Agamalai Hills where it was first discovered and, so far, the only area where it has been found. These hills are in Tamil Nadu and a roughly 1,600-mile drive south from New Delhi.
The new species was identified by its size, coloring, scale pattern and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least about 9% 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: Anaimalai dwarf gecko, Anuradha’s dwarf gecko, Tenkasi dwarf gecko and Valparai dwarf gecko.
This story was originally published June 21, 2024 at 9:40 AM with the headline "‘Long’-fingered creature found lurking under rocks in India. It’s a new species."
