Researchers have identified a new colourful species of leopard geckos deep in the forests of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, which they said is already collected for pet trade and may be smuggled illegally. Eublepharis pictus, also known as the Painted Leopard Gecko, was known to researchers before but they have only now revealed its true identity.
In 2017, Zeeshan A. Mirza of the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore and C. Gnaneswar from the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in Chennai found a gecko in a water tank near a temple in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, during a field survey. However, back then, they thought it belonged to the East Indian Leopard Gecko species (Eublepharis hardwickii).
"The species appears to be common in the hill forests, but its distinctness was only confirmed by other researchers," Mirza noted. The study, recently published in the journal Evolutionary Systematics, looked for the evolutionary history and relationships within and between the leopard gecko species in the genus Eublepharis.
The researchers found that what had until then been considered a southern population of East Indian Leopard Gecko might be distinct enough to represent a new species. They then made morphological or structural comparisons between the species, looking at specimens across natural history museums.
"These lizards have conserved morphologies and most species are quite similar in general appearance,” Mirza said. "With a few characters based on the number of specimens examined, we described the species and named it the Painted Leopard Gecko - in Latin, Eublepharis pictus, for its colouration," he added.
With this new addition, the gecko genus Eublepharis now contains seven species. Two of them - E. pictus and E. satpuraensis - were described by Mirza. The Painted Leopard Gecko measures 11.7 centimetres in length, which is somewhat large for a leopard gecko. The Brahmani River, which runs through the Eastern Ghats, separates it geographically from the East Indian Leopard Gecko, with which it shares a lot of similar traits.
The researchers noted that the new species lives in dry evergreen forests mixed with scrub and meadows. It is strictly nocturnal, actively foraging along trails in the forest after dusk. While looking for food, it has been observed licking surfaces as it moves, which suggests it might use its tongue as a sensory organ, they said.
Even though the Painted Leopard Gecko seems to be widespread across the state of Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh, the researchers worry about its conservation. "The species is collected for the pet trade and even now may be smuggled illegally," they said, which is why they have not given out the exact locations where it may be found.
The authors of the study noted that the species would stand more of a chance against humans if more people knew it was actually harmless. To protect it, they suggest listing it as Near Threatened based on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) conservation prioritisation criteria, until more is known about the size of its populations.
More research may also encourage better protection of biodiversity in the area, the authors of the study noted. "The Eastern Ghats are severely under-surveyed, and dedicated efforts will help recognise it as a biodiversity hotspot," they added.
(With PTI inputs)
