Bent-Toed Geckos

Aug. 5, 2024

Recently, scientists from India and the United Kingdom have described six new species of bent-toed geckos from Northeast India.

About Bent-Toed Geckos:

  • The bent-toed geckos of the genus Cyrtodactylus are diverse.
  • They are commonly known as bow-fingered geckos and forest geckos
  • Geckos are ectothermic, meaning they rely on external sources of heat to regulate their body temperature.
  • Reproduction in this gecko species typically occurs during the warm and wet seasons.
  • Distribution: Bent-toed geckos have about 346 species distributed across multiple biogeographic zones in Peninsular India, Sri Lanka, the Himalayan foothills, Northeast India, Southeast Asia and the Solomon Islands.

Highlights about the new species

  • Namdapha bent-toed gecko: It was documented from the Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh and is widespread within lowland evergreen forests of the Namdapha and Kamlang Tiger Reserves.
  • Siang Valley Bent-Toed Gecko (Arunachal Pradesh): It was discovered in the Siang River valley, renowned for its unique biodiversity.
  • Ngengpui bent-toed gecko (Mizoram): It was discovered in the Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary of Lawngtlai district. The site is located in one of the easternmost protected areas of the country. 
  • Manipur bent-toed gecko: It was discovered near the Lamdan Kabui village of Manipur.
  • Kiphire bent-toed gecko and Barail Hill bent-toed gecko(Nagaland): These two were discovered in Nagaland.