New Species of Gecko

Abour new Species:

• The first ever sighting of this gecko and the new species has been named as Hemidactyluspakkamalaiensis, after the hill where it was recorded.
• It belongs to the genus Hemidactylus and it is havinglarge-body size (101–109 mm).
• The new species is closely related to  graniticolus from which it can be distinguished by its lower femoral pores count.

About Pakkamalai hills:

• It is located in Villupuram district of Tamilnadu near Gingee.
• It is a biodiversity-rich area and has large mammals including leopards and sloth bears.
• It is an ecologically important area in the Eastern Ghats.