Painted Leopard Gecko

In News 

• Researchers identified a new colourful species of leopard geckos deep in the forests of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

About Painted Leopard Gecko

• A gecko found in Visakhapatnam in 2017, then thought to belong to a known species.
• It  has now been identified as a member of a new species. 
• It is also known as Eublepharis pictus
  • With this new addition, the gecko genus Eublepharis now contains seven species.

• The new species differs from all members of the genus Eublepharis except for E hardwickii
  • Geographically the two species appear to be separated by the Brahmani River.
  • E hardwickii has been recorded from several places in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. 
• Description and Distribution 
  • It measures 11.7 centimetres in length, which is somewhat large for a leopard gecko. 
  • It is strictly nocturnal, actively foraging along trails in the forest after dusk.
  •  It is harmless
  • It lives in dry evergreen forests mixed with scrub and meadows.

Source:IE