The species is named after renowned scientist Dr Varad Giri; the reptile is nocturnal and usually spotted in the Western Ghats and central India
The species was first discovered in 2016. Pic/Raj Jadhav
A rare gecko—Cyrtodactylus varadgirii—named after renowned scientist Dr Varad Giri was spotted at the Aarey Milk Colony by a wildlife lovers and a researcher. The reptile was sighted by wildlife researcher Raj Jadhav, along with wildlife lovers Omkar Sawant, Kaushlendra Dubey, and Pushpak Tanavade, who were on an evening stroll in Aarey.
The gecko has dark black spots with whitish-yellow borders, which makes it difficult to spot as it gets camouflaged. It is a nocturnal species that is usually spotted in the Western Ghats and central India. Usually 5.5 cm in length, it mainly feeds on small insects.
“We were taking an evening walk on the road in Aarey when we heard a noise and saw something passing over the leaf litter. When we observed closely, we were extremely happy to spot Cyrtodactylus varadgirii, or what is also known as ‘Giri’s geckoella.’ While this species is widely distributed in the Western Ghats, the sighting of this beautiful species is rare,” Dubey said.
“It is a terrestrial, ground- dwelling gecko that is primarily nocturnal. It spends most of its time navigating through leaf litter and seeking shelter under rocks and logs. One of the major historical threats to this species has been frequent forest fires. However, since the area has been granted protected status and brought under the jurisdiction of the forest department, the frequency of forest fires has reportedly decreased. This has helped protect sensitive ground-dwelling species, giving them a better chance to survive in this urban forest,” said Jadhav.
Dr Giri is a renowned herpetologist who has trained hundreds of youngsters in the fields of citizen science, wildlife research, and herpetology. Dr Giri is responsible for the discovery of more than 56 species of amphibians, reptiles, and geckos in the Western Ghats.
In 2016, the species was discovered by wildlife researchers Dr Ishan Agarwal, Zeeshan Mirza, Anurag Mishra, Saunak Pal, and Dr Aaron Bauer. It may be noted that earlier, the species was thought to be Geckoella collegalensis, but based on its DNA and morphological characters, the researchers described this as a new species.
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