THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A team of independent researchers has discovered a new species of large-bodied gecko from Attappadi in Palakkad. Christened Hemidactylus easai, the species belongs to the genus Hemidactylus and has been discovered from the rain shadow areas of Attappadi.
“The geckos play a huge role in insect control. Other than perhaps creating an eerie feeling for humans, they are harmless and play a significant role. The genus to which the new species belongs is widely distributed, and the lizards in our homes belong to the same genus. But what we have discovered is twice the size of the lizard at home. It has been observed to be endemic to the Western Ghats,” says herpetologist Sandeep Das, who led the research team.
Saunak Pal, Sasidharan Siddharth, Muhamed Jafer Palot, Veerappan Deepak and Surya Narayana are the other researchers in the team. The species has been named after P S Easa, a former director of the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Thrissur, and also the mentor of Sandeep. “It is a tribute to his contributions in the field of wildlife research, conservation and management spanning four decades,” says Sandeep. The genus Hemidactylus has 180 species of geckos distributed across the globe. There were 48 in India, and eight in Kerala. The new addition makes it nine.
The new species was discovered in human settlements, abandoned buildings and near boulders and rock formations along river Bhavani. It was first spotted in June 2020, and after DNA studies, it was described as a new species.
The findings the report have been published in the scientific journal Vertebrate Zoology. It was during a reptile and amphibian survey that the team discovered the new species. According to Sandeep, the rate at which Hemidactylus are being described from India over the past decade is high, with 16 new descriptions of the 48 known species.
Only two large-bodied species — Hemidactylus prashadi and Hemidactylus paaragowli — are known from Kerala. “The new description of Hemidactylus easai makes it the eighth large-bodied Hemidactylus from the Western Ghats and the third for Kerala. The discovery is significant in that it shows there are so many new species yet to be discovered and also stresses the need for conservation,” he says.