The leaf-tailed geckos of the genus Uroplatus aren’t easy to find. In the jungles of their native Madagascar, this is certainly true, owing to their remarkable ability to meld into their surroundings. But scientists are still uncovering species from the island nation with astonishing regularity by disentangling species complexes using DNA analysis. In 1989, only […]
Tag: gecko
New Species of Gliding Gecko Discovered in India
“The gekkonid genus Gekko contains morphologically diverse lizards represented by 86 species distributed across South and Southeast Asia,” said lead author Zeeshan Mirza, a Ph.D. student at the Max Planck Institute for Biology, and his colleagues from Mizoram University. “The genus comprises members with fascinating adaptations like elaborate skin flaps to facilitate gliding members of […]
New Species of Gecko with ‘Psychedelic Eyes’ Identified in Australia
Researchers have described a cryptic new species in the spiny-tailed gecko genus Strophurus from inland areas of southern Western Australia. Strophurus is a genus of lizards in Diplodactylidae, a family in the suborder Gekkota. The genus contains around 20 recognized species, all endemic to Australia. Also known as spiny-tailed or striped geckos, they are small, […]
Animals that can walk on water
Animals can walk, crawl, swim, or fly. Some animals have incredible abilities, such as walking on water. It’s something that humans consider a miracle. But for these animals, it’s just a basic ability. You can skip the section where you hire a dissertation writer to learn about them, and instead learn about the most amazing […]
You Want to See These 8 Animals in Your Yard
There are some people out there that spend a lot of time and money investing in keeping wild animals and critters from finding a home. There are all sorts of sprays, traps, electronic devices, noise machines, and old-fashioned scarecrows employed in the art of dissuading animals from coming around. Sometimes, some of it is warranted. […]
Colorful New Species of Gecko Discovered in India
Eublepharis is a small genus in the lizard family Eublepharidae, which contains 44 species in six genera distributed in parts of North and Central America, West and East Africa, Middle East, South Asia and the Malayan Archipelago. First described in 1827, the genus is currently represented by seven species of which five are known from […]
Reptile traffickers trawl scientific literature, target newly described species
“What happens when a new species of gecko is discovered? Two Germans grab their suitcases and get on a plane,” says Sandra Altherr, telling an in-house joke. Altherr is a co-founder of Pro Wildlife, a conservation NGO in Germany. In the joke, the anonymous men with suitcases are reptile traders. Their objective is to get […]
Slash-and-burn farming eats away at a Madagascar haven for endangered lemurs, frogs
Deforestation is so rampant throughout Madagascar, an island far larger than California, that it’s easy to forget the impact of tree clearance in any one specific area of the country — the lemurs that lose their habitats, the orchids that no longer bloom, the people whose land becomes barren. But recent activity in the Ankeniheny-Zahamena […]