Cnemaspis Rashidi

07.11.2023

Cnemaspis Rashidi , Daily Current Affairs , RACE IAS : Best IAS Coaching in Lucknow 

Why in the news?

Recently, a new species of gecko has been discovered in the Western Ghats near Rajapalayam, Tamil Nadu.

Important points:

• This species has been discovered in Virudhunagar district of TamilNadu.
• Amit Sayyed, senior scientist at Wildlife Protection and Research Society, Maharashtra, has named the previously undocumented species as Cnemaspis rashidi after his father Professor Rashid Sayyed.
• A research paper on this new species was published in the Asian Journal of Conservation Biology.

About cnemaspis rashidi:

• This is a new species of lizard discovered in the Western Ghats (endemic) near Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu.
• 93 species of gecko have been documented so far and this is the 94th species.
• The new species is also called Rashid's dwarf gecko, because it is the smallest in the genus (about 2 inches).
• It is about two inches long from its tip to its snout.
• It was found at an altitude of 1,245 meters in Kottamalai Estate near Rajapalayam.
• It is endemic to the Western Ghats.

Appearance of Cenemaspis Rashidi:

• Its back features a combination of beautiful patterns of yellow, white and black, making it stand out among its lizard relatives.
• The eyes of this lizard are dark brown.

Geckos:

• Geckos come under the reptile category of animals and are found in all continents except Antarctica.
• Most gecko species are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night, but some gecko species are active during the day and feed on insects, fruits, and flower pollen.

Gecko species are divided under seven categories:

• Carphodactylidae
  • Carphodactylidae, informally known as the southern paddleless gecko. These are endemic to Australia.
• Diplodactylidae
  • These lizards are found in Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia.
• pygopodidae
  • Pygopodidae, commonly known as legless lizards, snake-lizards or flap-footed lizards, is a family of squamates with reduced or absent limbs.
• Eublepharidae
  • All geckos, except species in the Eublepharidae family, do not have eyelids.
• Gekkonidae
  • Gekkonidae (common geckos) is the largest family of geckos.
• Phyllodactylidae
• Sphaerodactylidae
  • It is distributed in North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean, as well as in Southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.

Other Gecko Species in India:

• Indian Golden Gecko (Category - Gekkonidae) is endemic to India (Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh). It is listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act.
• IUCN Red List: Least Concern.
• Tokay gecko of Gekkonidae category: Widely found in the Indo-Malay region. It is listed under Schedule 4 of the Wildlife Protection Act.
• IUCN Red List: Least Concern.

About Western Ghats:

• It is also called Sahyadri, which is a mountain range running north-south in western India.
• It forms the crest of the western edge of the Deccan Plateau parallel to the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea.
• The Western Ghats is a biodiversity hotspot, a biologically rich but endangered region and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

They play a big role in India's monsoon weather patterns