Guwahati, Feb 18: As a part of ongoing research to uncover herpetofaunal diversity of Northeast India, a team of researchers consisting of Jayaditya Purkayastha and Sanath Chandra Bohra of Help Earth, Yashpal Singh Rathee of Umroi Military Station, Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga, Vabeiryureilai Mathipi, Lal Biakzuala & Lal Muansanga of Dept of Zoology, Mizoram University and Beirathie Litho of RMSA School Lobo has discovered two new of species of bent toed gecko, one each from state of Meghalaya and Mizoram.
The finding of the study was published in European Journal of Taxonomy.
The new species from Mizoram has a scientific name Cyrtodactylus siahaensis and English name Siaha bent-toed gecko.
The species was named after Siaha (district capital of Siaha District) from where the species was found.
The new species from Meghalaya was recorded from Umroi Military Station in Ri-Bhoi district and its scientific name was given as Cyrtodactylus exercitus (In Latin exercitus means army).
The name was given to honour Indian army for their services to our motherland, India. The English name of the species was given as Indian army’s bent-toed gecko.
The genus Cyrtodactylus is represented by around 320 species worldwide and is the third most speciose vertebrate genus in the world. The members of the genus range from South Asia to Melanesia with high diversity in south Asia. Northeast India now home to 16 species of bent toed gecko.
