Copyright deccanchronicle
Visakhapatnam: Research scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have identified a new species of gecko no bigger than a human thumb in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh.Named Hemiphyllodactylus Venkatadri, the researchers found the reptile clinging to the bark of a tree in the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve within the sacred Tirumala Hill ranges.The newly identified gecko takes the name Venkatadri, a Sanskrit term meaning "mountain that removes sins" in honour of the holy hills associated with Lord Vishnu. At just 33.7 millimetres—roughly 1.3 inches—in length, adult specimens rank among the smallest reptiles in the region.This novel species exhibits 9.7–12.9 per cent divergence in DNA sequence data from its closely related congeners in peninsular India.The team led by Bharath Bhupathi, which discovered Hemiphyllodactylus Venkatadri, included scientists from multiple Indian institutions. They collected six specimens—five adults and one juvenile—from Venkatadri Hill at an elevation of 881 metres. The geckos had taken shelter underneath the bark of Diospyros melanoxylon trees during daylight hours, positioned between 1.5 metres and 3 metres above the forest floor.Scientists have flagged the species as potentially new in earlier molecular studies, where it has been designated "Hemiphyllodactylus sp. IN 6."The species displays distinctive colouring that varies among individuals: dark longitudinal stripes extending from neck to tail, irregular dark lines punctuated by white spots across the back, and a vivid orangish-red tail underside. Like other slender geckos, it possesses specialised toe pads with microscopic scales that enable navigation of vertical surfaces.Over the past 15 years, researchers have identified 59 of the 69 currently recognised Hemiphyllodactylus species worldwide using molecular techniques and expanded physical data. Just in the past decade, they have found 10 new lizard species in Andhra Pradesh's Eastern Ghats, seven of them geckos.
