Researchers discover new species of diurnal gecko in Assam
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Guwahati: A new species of diurnal (day-active) gecko, measuring between 30.8 to 35.7 mm from snout to vent, has been discovered in
Assam
. The species has been named 'Cnemaspis Brahmaputra' in homage to the Brahmaputra river, enriching India's reptilian diversity.
The discovery was detailed in the scientific journal Taprobanica: The Journal of Asian Biodiversity by a team of researchers, including Amit Sayyed, Madhurima Das, AA Thasun Amarasinghe, Rupankar Bhattacharjee and herpetologist Jayaditya Purkayastha.
Purkayastha said the new species belonged to the Cnemaspis Podihuna clade, a group of small, diurnal geckos previously believed to be largely restricted to Sri Lanka.
"Its discovery in Assam strengthens the evidence for an ancient biogeographic link between Sri Lanka and the northeast, reflecting historical faunal exchanges across the Indian subcontinent. The species is genetically and morphologically distinct from its Sri Lankan relatives, showing significant evolutionary divergence," Purkayastha said.
The discovery marks 'Cnemaspis Brahmaputra' as only the second species of the genus 'Cnemaspis' known from the northeast, the first being 'Cnemaspis Assamensis', described in 2000. Both species are members of the podihuna clade and are confined to the Brahmaputra river valley. However, they are found on opposite banks of the river and exhibit substantial genetic differences. The new species differs from 'Cnemaspis Assamensis' by about 6.0 to 7.2%, while showing a more pronounced divergence of 21.2 to 24.8% from its related species in Sri Lanka, based on differences in their ND2 genes.
Purkayastha said the gecko was spotted on the premises of the Dirgheswari temple, located on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra.
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