Hemiphyllodactylus Venkatadri:
Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered a new species of slender gecko and named it as Hemiphyllodactylus Venkatadri.
- It is a new species of slender Gecko belonging to the genus Hemiphyllodactylus.
- It was discovered from Tirumala hill ranges within the Seshachalam biosphere reserve in Andhra Pradesh
- Seshachalam biosphere reserve is also known as Tirupati-Kadapa hills are one of the major landscapes of Eastern Ghats of Southern Andhra Pradesh.
- It was designated Biosphere Reserve in 2010.
- It derives its name from the sacred Venkatadri Hills.
- It is the second slender gecko species recorded from Andhra Pradesh, after Hemiphyllodactylus arakuensis.
- Venkatadri slender geckos are considered “small,” reaching just over 2 inches in length.
- Their limbs are short, and they have “spurs” at the base of their tails.
