HYDERABAD: The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has discovered a new species of skink from the Eastern Ghats, named Riopa deccanensis or the Deccan Gracile Skink.
The species is characterised by a slender body, semi-transparent eyelids and distinct longitudinal dorsal stripes. It is currently known only from two localities, highlighting the rich but under-explored herpetofaunal diversity of the Eastern Ghats.
Riopa deccanensis becomes the ninth recognised species in its genus and the sixth known from India. This is the first such species described from the country in over 84 years, marking an addition to Indian reptilian biodiversity.
ZSI director Dr Dhriti Banerjee said the species name reflects its origin from the Deccan Peninsula biogeographic zone. She stated that the discovery draws attention to the hidden reptile diversity of the Deccan landscape and the importance of systematic field studies and molecular tools in identifying cryptic species.
The discovery resulted from extensive field surveys and molecular research conducted in the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve in Andhra Pradesh and the Amrabad Tiger Reserve in Telangana. Details of the finding have been published in the latest issue of the international peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa.
The research team included scientists from the Freshwater Biology Regional Centre of the Zoological Survey of India,
Hyderabad; the reptilia section of the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata; and the Natural History Museum, London.