A New Species of Gecko Using Its Tongue as a Sensory Organ Discovered in India 0 12

The bright and harmless lizard belongs to the genus Eublepharis — one of the most common terrarium animals. Due to illegal capture for sale, Eublepharis are on the brink of extinction.

The new colorful species is very similar to its relative, the Eastern Indian leopard gecko. Initially, it was mistaken for it when the first lizard was found dead in a water reservoir during field research.

However, later, while analyzing the evolution of leopard geckos, specialists concluded that this could be a separate species rather than just a southern part of the population. This was confirmed by molecular data and detailed measurements of morphological traits. The team compared the found female gecko with samples of other species in natural history museums.

These lizards have retained their morphology, and most species look very similar externally. Using several traits based on the number of specimens examined, we described this species and named it the painted leopard gecko — in Latin, Eublepharis pictus — for its bright coloration.

The new relative with the prefix “painted” has become the seventh species in the genus Eublepharis, five of which inhabit the steppes and mountains of India. Pictus lives in dry evergreen relict forests interspersed with meadows and shrubs. The Brahmani River, flowing through the Western Ghats, separates its range from the habitats of its closest relative.

The largest specimen discovered reached a length of 11.7 centimeters, reports The Indian Express. The gecko leads an exclusively nocturnal lifestyle: after sunset, it emerges from its shelter to forage for food. Scientists have noticed that while moving along forest paths, it licks the surfaces around. Presumably, the gecko uses its tongue as a sensory organ for spatial orientation.

In their article about the discovery of the new species, the authors did not specify the exact locations of its distribution. According to herpetologists, the species is already threatened with extinction, as geckos are illegally collected for sale as pets and smuggled. Additionally, lizards are killed by humans — not everyone knows that these geckos are harmless.

To protect the painted leopard gecko, zoologists propose to include it in the list of protected species to give it a better chance of survival.