Cyrtodactylus vedda AMARASINGHE, KARUNARATHNA, CAMPBELL, GAYAN, RANASINGHE, DE SILVA & MIRZA, 2022
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Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Veddas ground-gecko Sinhala: Vedi bim-hoona |
Synonym | Cyrtodactylus (Geckoella) vedda AMARASINGHE, KARUNARATHNA, CAMPBELL, GAYAN, RANASINGHE, DE SILVA & MIRZA 2022 Geckoella triedra – GOONEWARDENE et al. 2004 Geckoella triedra – DE SILVA et al. 2004 Geckoella triedra – SOMAWEERA & SOMAWEERA 2009 [partim] Geckoella triedra – KARUNARATHNA et al. 2013 Geckoella triedrus (sic) – KARUNARATHNA & AMARASINGHE 2011 Geckoella triedrus (sic) – AGARWAL & KARANTH 2015 Cyrtodactylus (Geckoella) triedra (sic) – WOOD et al. 2012 |
Distribution | Sri Lanka Type locality: Rathugala (717'42.08"N, 8122'42.89"E, datum 1⁄4 WGS84; 300 m above sea level), Bibile, Monaragala District, Uva Province, Sri Lanka |
Reproduction | |
Types | Holotype: NMSL 2021.07.01, Adult male, collected by Suranjan Karunarathna collected on 25 June 2018. Paratype. Subadult female, NMSL 2021.07.02, col- lected from Yakunhela (7 12'03.42"N, 81 19'47.03"E, datum = WGS84; 350 m above sea level), same collection data as the holotype. |
Diagnosis | |
Comment | Distribution: see map in Amarasinghe et al. 2022: 14 (Fig. 7) |
Etymology | The specific epithet refers to the “veddas”, a minority population of ancient aboriginal indigenous ethnic group of people living in the vicinity of the new species (e.g. Nilgala, Ratugala) in Sri Lanka is formed here as an invariable noun in apposition. Vedda clans are classified as a separate ethnic group. A clan of old descendants of the “rock veddas” or rock cave dwellers currently live in hamlets in Ratugala and Nilgala where probably the most established group of veddas in Sri Lanka still live (Osman Hill, 1932). However, some of them are now intermingled with the Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic groups. The original name for the vedda in Ratugala and Nilgala is “Danigala vedda” – they left the Danigala rock caves many years ago and settled in the Rathugla area. |
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