‘Slender’ forest creature with ‘spurs’ found lurking in India. It’s a new species
.jpg "Scientists found a “slender” creature with “spurs” lurking in a forest of Nagaland and discovered a new species, a study said.")
Under the cover of darkness, a “slender” creature with “spurs” climbed up a tree in a forest of eastern India. Something about the clawed animal caught the attention of passing scientists — and for good reason.
It turned out to be a new species
Researchers hiked into the mountain forests of Nagaland in 2021 to survey wildlife, according to a study published July 29 in the peer-reviewed journal Vertebrate Zoology. The visit was part of a larger project to document the region’s diverse lizards.
During a nighttime hike, researchers found a spiky gecko lurking on a tree, the study said. They captured the reptile and, taking a closer look, realized they’d discovered a new species: Cyrtodactylus barailensis, or the Barail Hills bent-toed gecko.
The Barail Hills bent-toed gecko is considered “medium-sized,” reaching just over 5 inches in length, the study said. It has a “moderately large,” “oval” head with a “short” snout. Its “slender” body is dotted with spikes, including eight pointed “spurs” near the base of its tail.
A photo shows the coloring of the new species. Overall, most of its body is dark brown, but its head has a “purplish tinge” and its sides look almost pinkish. Its “bent” toes have “large” claws.
Only one Barail Hills bent-toed gecko has been found, the study said. The lizard was perched “on the trunk of a small tree” about 6 feet off the ground at night.
Researchers said they named the new species after the Barail hill range where it was discovered and, so far, the only place where it has been found. This area is in Nagaland, a mountainous state in eastern India and along the border with Myanmar.
The new species was identified by its spikes, scale arrangement, body shape and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 10% genetic divergence from other related gecko species.
The research team included Bitupan Boruah, Surya Narayanan, Neelavar Ananthram Aravind, Samuel Lalronunga, V. Deepak and Abhijit Das.
The team also discovered five more new species of gecko: Kiphire bent-toed gecko, Manipur bent-toed gecko, Namdapha bent-toed gecko, Ngengpui bent-toed gecko and Siang Valley bent-toed gecko.
This story was originally published August 2, 2024 at 8:00 AM with the headline "‘Slender’ forest creature with ‘spurs’ found lurking in India. It’s a new species."
