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Gecko found in Andhra, Odisha turns out to be a new species

Published: 13th Jun, 2022

Context

A gecko found in Visakhapatnam in 2017, then thought to belong to a known species, has now been identified as a member of a new species.

About

Researchers had initially identified the specimen, which they had found dead in a water tank, as an East Indian Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis hardwickii).
Now, a phylogenetic study and morphological comparisons have distinguished it as a new species.
The gecko genus Eublepharis now has 7 species.
The new species, Eublepharis pictus, also known as the Painted Leopard Gecko.
The new species differs from all members of the genus Eublepharis except for E hardwickii.
- Geographically the two species appear to be separated by the Brahmani River.
E hardwickii has been recorded from several places in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
- While noting that the new species is distributed across Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.