Scientists have discovered a new species of gecko named after the post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. A team of scientists from the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation came across this rare lizard while exploring the southern Western Ghats of southern India.behind the scenes Nemaspis Vangogi They recalled one of the most famous paintings in the world. Regarding new species, The study was published March 27 in the journal Zookey.
“Nemaspis Vangogi The new species is so named because its striking colors are reminiscent of the works of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). the most iconic painting, starry night,” Study co-author and biologist Ishan Agarwal stated in a statement.
The male of this species is yellow head and front body, There are light blue spots on the back. They live among rocks in this mountainous and rainforest-covered region, and can sometimes be found on buildings and trees.Scientists don’t know anything at this point Nemaspis Vangogi I eat, but other than that gecko eats Crickets, earthworms, waxworms, mealworms, moths, fruit flies, grasshoppers, etc. Some geckos also eat fruits such as papaya, pineapple, and grapes.
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gene sequencing This helped the research team determine that this was a new species of gecko. There are approximately 1,500 known species of geckos worldwide. These lizards are All continents except Antarctica, but is particularly prevalent in warmer climates. Ishan Agarwal and his colleagues Akshay Khandekar and Tejas Thackeray discovered the new species during an expedition in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in April 2022.
“Tamil Nadu is a highly biodiverse state and we expect to name well over 50 new lizard species by the end of the study.” [with our expeditions]! ”Agarwal said. “I was bitten by more than 500 ticks during my travels that summer, with the highest density in the low-altitude dry forests of Sriviriputur, where new species are being discovered.”
Nemaspis Vangogi They are small geckos, only 1 to 2 inches long.of The world’s largest known gecko is the New Caledonian gecko. They live only on the islands of New Caledonia in the South Pacific and can grow up to 14 inches long.
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Nemaspis Vangogi Another species of the same genus named , was described as new to science. Nemaspis saturagiliensis. This other gecko is named after its location, the Saturagiri Hills.
“The two new species are distributed at lower altitudes.” [820 to 1,312 feet]Sriviriputur deciduous forest, and the Sriviriputur Megamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu, India, adding to the five previously known endemic vertebrates,” Agarwal said.
Both species are diurnal, so they are primarily active during the cool early morning hours. They are only found in very limited locations, making them “an interesting case of micro-endemism in low-elevation species,” Agarwal said.