Cyrtodactylus jayadityai

A team of researchers from Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram has identified a new species of bent-toed gecko in the lowland forests of North Tripura.

The newly discovered species, named Cyrtodactylus jayadityai, has been described in a study published on April 14 in the European Journal of Taxonomy.

Scientific Breakthrough: The researchers adopted an integrative approach combining:

• Morphological analysis
• Statistical evaluation
• Molecular techniques

This comprehensive method confirmed the species as distinct from its closest relative, Cyrtodactylus tripuraensis, showing a genetic divergence of 4.7–5.2% in the mitochondrial ND2 gene.

Biodiversity Significance

With this discovery, the number of Cyrtodactylus species recorded in Northeast India has risen to 31, further highlighting the ecological richness of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot—one of the world’s most biologically diverse and threatened regions.

Named in Honour

The species has been named after noted Indian herpetologist Jayaditya Purkayastha, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to reptile research and conservation in Northeast India.