Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Odisha’s forest officials have announced measures to preserve the newly discovered tiny gecko species of the genus Hemiphyllodactylus which was recently found by the residents of Ganjam.
According to the State Forest Department Officials, the residents of Ganjam found or discovered the tiny reptile of the Hemiphyllodactylus genus. The species, which grows up to 6 centimetres in length, was first spotted within the premises of a temple at Humma in Ganjam district in 2014.
As per the official reports, scientists studied the species till 2017 and made 612 observations during the period, with a maximum of 22 sightings in each. The team traced its habitat to Jhadeshawar sacred grove and the findings were published in Zootaxa, an international journal.
Amlan Nayak, divisional forest officer (DFO), Berhampur stated that the department will take steps for its conservation in association with the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the locals. As the area is the only habitat for this rare species and they have also appealed to the locals for its conservation without destruction of its natural habitat.
Pratyush Mohapatra, a ZSI scientist who discovered the species stated that this species is found only in mango trees surrounding the temple and later the species was found on the ground, either forging or moving to another tree. The species was never found on concrete walls or below rock boulders unlike other members of the genus.
The new species is the seventh Indian species of the genus, the second from the northern Eastern Ghats and 41st globally. It is the first non-island species of the genus which is distributed in lowland habitats, he described.
Image Source – Google
