Scientists have found a brand new species of gecko named for post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. A workforce of scientists from the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation have been exploring the Southern Western Ghats in southern India after they got here throughout this uncommon lizard. The again of Cnemaspis vangoghi reminded them of one of many world’s most well-known work. The new species is described in a research printed March 27 within the journal ZooKeys.
“Cnemaspis vangoghi is named for Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) as the striking colouration of the new species is reminiscent of one of his most iconic paintings, The Starry Night,” research co-author and biologist Ishan Agarwal mentioned in an announcement.
The males of this species boast a yellow head and forebody, with mild blue spots on their again. They reside among the many rocks on this mountainous and rainforest coated area and sometimes are discovered on buildings and timber. Scientists don’t at present know what Cnemaspis vangoghi eats, however different geckos eat crickets, earthworms, waxworms, mealworms, moths, fruit flies, or grasshoppers. Some geckos can even eat fruit, together with papaya, pineapple, and grapes.
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Genetic sequencing helped the workforce decide that it is a new species of gecko. There are roughly 1,500 identified gecko species around the globe. These lizards are discovered on each continent aside from Antarctica, however are particularly prevalent in hotter climates. Ishan Agarwal and colleagues Akshay Khandekar and Tejas Thackeray discovered the brand new species throughout an April 2022 expedition in Tamil Nadu, India.
“Tamil Nadu is an exceptionally biodiverse state and we expect to name well over 50 new species of lizards by the time we are done [with our expeditions]!,” mentioned Agarwal. “I also had more than 500 tick bites during that summer trip, with the highest densities in the low-elevation, dry forests of Srivilliputhur, where the new species are found.”
Cnemaspis vangoghi is a small gecko that may rise up to just one to 2 inches in size. The largest identified gecko on this planet is the New Caledonian gecko. They are completely discovered on the islands of New Caledonia within the South Pacific and may develop as much as 14 inches lengthy.
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Cnemaspis vangoghi was described as new to science with one other species in the identical genus named Cnemaspis sathuragiriensis. This different gecko is named for its locality the Sathuragiri Hills.
“The two new species are distributed in low elevation [820 to 1,312 feet], deciduous forests of Srivilliputhur, and add to the five previously known endemic vertebrates from Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India,” mentioned Agarwal.
Both species are additionally diurnal, that means they’re primarily energetic throughout the cool hours within the early morning. They have solely been present in very restricted places, which makes them an “an interesting case of micro-endemism in low-elevation species,” in response to Agarwal.