Painted Leopard Gecko.

4June 2022.

Introduction;

A new colourful species of leopard named “Eublepharis pictus” was recently identified by researchers. The species is also known as Painted Leopard Gecko.

Highlights:

• Painted Leopard Gecko differs from all members of the genus Eublepharis except for E hardwickii.
• Eublepharis is a genus of terrestrial geckos, which is native to eastern and southwestern Asia.
• It lives in dry evergreen forests mixed with scrub and meadows.
• It is strictly nocturnal, actively foraging along trails in forest after dusk.
• The species is common in forests of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. And geographically appears to be separated by Brahmani River.
• With this, the gecko genus Eublepharis now has 7 species.

About Geckos

• Geckos are reptiles, that are found on all continents except Antarctica.

•  These colourful lizards have adapted to habitats ranging from rainforests, deserts, to cold mountain slopes. Most of the geckos are nocturnal, i.e., they are active at night.

• However, day geckos are active during the day. They depend on fruits, flower nectar and insects.

Family of Geckos

Geckos are spread across six families namely Carphodactylidae, Diplodactylidae, Gekkonidae, Eublepharidae, Sphaerodactylidae and Phyllodactylidae.

Species of Gecko in India

• Indian Golden Gecko, belonging to family Gekkonidae, is native to India states of Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh. It is listed in Schedule 1 of Wildlife Protection Act. In IUCN list, it is categorised as Least Concern (LC) species.
• Tokay Gecko belonging to family Gekkonidae is widespread in Indo-Malayan region  It is a schedule 4 species of wild life protection act and Least Concern (LC) species of IUCN list.