New species of gecko discovered in Cambodia's Cardamon Mountains
25/03/2010 11:18:41
New species of gecko, Cnemaspis neangthyi, discovered in Cambodia. Credit Dr Lee Grismer/FFI
New species of gecko named after Fauna & Flora International scientist
March 2010. A new species of gecko, Cnemaspis neangthyi, has been discovered in South East Asian, in the rocky foothills of Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains and named it in honour of Cambodian scientist Mr. Neang Thy, who heads up conservation charity Fauna and Flora International's (FFI) Cardamom Mountains Research Group.
The unique combination of its colour pattern and scale characteristics, not seen in any other South East Asian species of Cnemaspis, has resulted in it being officially recognised as new to science.
Mr Neang said "I am very happy and proud to have a species named after me, it gives me much pleasure and makes me feel my work as a herpetologist is being recognised. I hope it will stimulate Cambodian people to think about the animals they see in their everyday life and make them realise these animals are often named after a specific call they make, the shape they have, the class they belong to or the person who discovered them."
Endemic to the Cardammon Mountains
This is the second species of the Cnemaspis genus to be found in Cambodia. It is endemic to the Cardamom Mountains, meaning it lives nowhere else on Earth.
FFI's biological surveys of the southwestern Cardamom Mountains have shown the area to be one of the most important areas for biodiversity conservation in Asia, sheltering. The area is home to more than 62 threatened animal and 17 threatened tree species, many of them unique to this region. The entire Cardamom region is now under increasing pressures from development.
The new species was found during a reptile and amphibian survey led by Dr Lee Grismer, La Sierra University and FFI in June 2007.
Cnemaspis geckos Cnemaspis geckos have a relatively ancient body plan characterized by a broad flattened head, large forward and upward directed eyes, flattened body, long widely splayed limbs, and long inflected digits that help them to climb trees and rock faces and seek refuge within crevices. Cnemaspis are diurnal species that usually go unnoticed because of their cryptic coloration and habit of foraging on the shaded surfaces of trees and overhanging rock faces. There are currently 75 species of Cnemapsis known to science, of which 30 live in South East Asia and only one other species is present in Cambodia.
Cnemaspis neangthyi has an olive-green colour with light coloured, paired, paravertebral blotches containing a central black dot. It also has a distinct light green chevron marking on the nape and the head has a
distinct black parietal spot and radiating black lines extending from the orbit. The base color of the limbs is
the same as the body and stippled with light green and black. The digits have light yellow and black bands. | The cardamon mountains The Cardamom Mountains contain three protected areas: Phnom Samkos Wildife Sanctuary, Phnom Aural Wildlife Sanctuary, the Central Cardamoms Protected Forest.
Although less than 10% of the range has been explored to date, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization rates the Cardamom Mountains as 'one of the most important areas for biodiversity conservation in Asia'. They have been named a Global Biodiversity Hotspot, are considered one of the planet's 200 Global Ecoregions and contain no less than three Important Bird Areas. They shelter at least 62 globally threatened animal and 17 globally threatened tree species, many of which are endemic to Cambodia. The Greater Cardamoms cover over 2 million hectares of forest, one of the largest remaining blocks of evergreen forest in South East Asia. |
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