Cnemaspis geethaiyerae AGARWAL, THACKERAY & KHANDEKAR, 2024
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Cnemaspis geethaiyerae?
Cnemaspis geethaiyerae
Find more photos by Google images search: 
| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Geetha Iyer’s dwarf gecko |
| Synonym | Cnemaspis geethaiyerae AGARWAL, THACKERAY & KHANDEKAR 2024: 1826 |
| Distribution | India (Tamil Nadu) Type locality: near Aralvaimozhi (8.24420°N, 77.50831°E; ca. 200 m asl), Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu State, India. |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype: NRC-AA-8338 (AK-R 1092), adult male; collected by Akshay Khandekar, Ishan Agarwal, Swapnil Pawar, and team on 5 April 2022. Paratypes: NRC-AA-8339 (AK-R 1094), NRC-AA-8340 (AK-R 1095), adult males, same data as holotype; NRC-AA-8341 (AK-R 1098), adult male, BNHS 2883 (AK-R 1091), ZSI-R-28778 (AK-R 1097), adult females, near Aralvaimozhi (8.25118°N, 77.51523°E; ca. 170 m asl), Kanyakumari District, same data as holotype. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A small-sized Cnemaspis, SVL up to 32.0 mm (n = 6). Dorsal pholidosis heterogeneous; weakly keeled granular scales intermixed with regularly arranged rows of enlarged, strongly keeled, conical tubercles; last one or two rows of enlarged tubercles on flank weakly keeled, short and spine-like; 10 (rarely 9, n = 1/6) rows of dorsal tubercles at midbody, 14–17 tubercles in paravertebral rows; ventral scales subequal from chest to vent, smooth, oval or elongate, and subimbricate on pectoral region, becoming slightly larger posteriorly 30–34 scales across belly at midbody, 132–148 longitudinal scales from mental to cloaca; subdigital scansors smooth, unpaired, unnotched; 11–13 lamellae under digit I of manus and 11 or 12 under digit I of pes, 18 or 19 (rarely 17, n = 1/6) lamellae under digit IV of manus and 20–22 (rarely 19, n = 1/6) lamellae under digit IV of pes; males with three or four femoral pores on each thigh, separated medially by 22–28 poreless scales (n = 4/6); tail with enlarged, strongly keeled, and weakly pointed tubercles forming whorls; median row of subcaudals keeled only on tip, slightly enlarged with condition of two or three slightly enlarged scales alternating with an enlarged scale. Dorsum with light blotches including four large in vertebral row and scattered dark markings; a single indistinct black dorsal ocellus on neck, venter off-white with black speckles most prominent under throat; original tail in males with 9–11 faint bands, regenerated tail brown.” (Agarwal et al. 2024) |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | Named after Dr Geetha Iyer, entomologist and former biology teacher at Rishi Valley School, Andhra Pradesh, India, for her contributions as a teacher – instrumental in helping many children develop and sustain an interest in nature (including IA in particular), and for her help with our survey work in Kanyakumari District. |
| References |
|
| External links |