Shillong, May 30: In the misty forests of Sohra—better known as Cherrapunji—researchers have made an exciting discovery: a rare forest lizard known as Calotes...

For nearly two decades, a mystery lingered unnoticed in the collections of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in Shillong—two overlooked lizard specimens, quietly waiting to reveal their story. These unassuming reptiles, collected in 2005 from Nagaland’s Mon District, were recently identified as the Khasi Hills Long-tailed Lizard (Takydromus khasiensis), marking the species’ first confirmed presence in the state.