Context
A team of herpetologists have recorded a new species of bent-toed gecko from a wooded part of the Umroi Military Station in Meghalaya.
- A herpetologist is a zoologist who studies reptiles and amphibians such as frogs and salamanders.
- The finding of the study was published in the latest issue of the European Journal of Taxonomy.
About this species
- Scientific name of the species is Crytodactylus exercitus.
- Exercitus in Latin means army.
- The name was given to honour the Army for its services to the country.
- The English name of the species is Indian Army’s bent-toed gecko.
- Genus Cyrtodactylus is represented by about 320 species worldwide and is the third most speciose vertebrate genus in the world.
- Members of this genus range from South Asia to Melanesia with high diversity in south Asia.
- India is now home to 40 species of the bent-toed gecko with the northeast accounting for 16 of them.
- It uncovered the herpetofaunal diversity of the region.
