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CHENGODUMALA DWARF GECKO

3rd April, 2023

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Context

  • Scientists have discovered a new species of ground-dwelling gecko, a species of lizard, from the coastal forests of northern Kerala.

About the species

  • The beautifully-patterned Cyrtodactylus (Geckoella) chengodumalaensis is a small, nocturnal species that is found on the ground among leaf litter and rocks in forests and partially human altered landscapes like orchards and other areas with canopy cover.
  • The Chengodumala or Coastal Kerala Geckoella is endemic to low hills and coastal forest in northern Kerala.
  • The second new species of gecko to have been described from Chengodumala highlights the fact that biodiversity of these low-elevation hillocks is understudied, with many more species remaining to be discovered.

Chengodumala is a midland hillock in Kozhikode district, and also the type locality for Cnemaspis chengodumalaensis (Chengodumala dwarf gecko).

Cyrtodactylus

  • It is a diverse genus of Asian geckos, commonly known as bent-toed geckos, bow-fingered geckos, and forest geckos.
  • The genus has about 300 described species as of 2020, which makes it the largest of all gecko genera.
  • As of 2023, Cyrtodactylus santana is the last known species in its family.

Description

  • Instead of possessing dilated digits like other geckos, members of Cyrtodactylus have slender, curved toes to which the common names for the genus can be attributed.

 

GECKO

LIZARD

Kingdom

Animalia

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Chordata

About

Geckos are small to average sized lizards which are found in warm climates throughout the world

Lizards are reptiles of the order Squamata, normally possessing four legs, external ear openings and movable eyelids

Class

Reptilia

Sauropsida

Order

Squamata

Squamata

Suborder

Lacertilia

Lacertilia

Physical Attributes

Have broad toes and big eye pupils and scaly skin.

Have four legs, movable eyelids, scaly skin and are cold blooded.

Breeding

Like most reptiles, the majority of geckos lay eggs. The female house gecko lays four or five pairs of eggs between May and August, with two to four weeks between layings.

Some lizards lay eggs in a nest. Others may give birth after hatching their eggs inside the body. Still other lizard species may give birth to live young. The female lizards do not care for their babies.

Variety of Species

1196 different species

3800 species

Eating preferences

The common gecko eats beetles, butterflies, millipedes, crickets, and cockroaches. Many larger species, such as the Caledonian gecko, pursue young lizards, and small birds

Lizards feed on a wide variety of foods including fruits and vegetation, insects, small tetrapods, carrion

Venomous

Not venomous though of late some venomous varieties have been discovered.

Only two varieties of lizards are known to be venomous.

Lifespan

5-7 years; varies by type

1-3 years; varies by type

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q) How many of the following statements with reference to Geckos and Lizards is/are incorrect?

a. Majority of the lizards are venomous.

b. Both belong to the squamata order.

c. Geckos are small to average sized lizards which are found in warm climates throughout the world.

  1. Only a
  2. Only b
  3. Only c
  4. None of the above

Answer: Option 1

https://www.news18.com/buzz/new-species-of-bent-toed-gecko-discovered-in-north-kerala-7428013.html