5 days ago
‘Dwarf'-like creature found sleeping near Madagascar hotel. It's a new species
As darkness stretched across Madagascar, a 'dwarf'-like creature settled on a tree branch near a hotel and fell asleep. But the night wouldn't be restful. Something about the animal caught the attention of passing scientists — and for good reason.
It turned out to be a new species.
A team of researchers visited Anjajavy Lodge in March 2023 to survey its wildlife as part of a larger project to classify some 'cryptic'-looking lizards, according to a study published July 23 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa.
During their visit, researchers searched the 'forest covering the lodge perimeter' and found several tiny lizards, the study said. Intrigued, they took a closer look at the animals, tracked down a few similar-looking archive specimens and analyzed their DNA.
A pattern emerged: These lizards were subtly but consistently different from any known species, the study said. Researchers realized they'd discovered a new species: Lygodactylus anjajavy, or the Anjajavy dwarf gecko.
Anjajavy dwarf geckos can reach about 2.5 inches long, researchers said.
Photos show the brown-gray coloring of the new species. Some geckos have dark brown-black bands running along their sides, while others have a more marbled-looking pattern.
Anjajavy dwarf geckos were found 'most often on tree trunks or sleeping at night on the tip of thin branches,' the study said.
Researchers said they named the new species after Anjajavy Lodge because of where it was first discovered and 'in recognition of the support the hotel provided to our research.' A video shared on Facebook by the hotel shows its treehouse-like cabins, beach and surrounding nature reserve.
'It is a profound privilege to see our name forever linked to such rare and remarkable biodiversity,' the hotel wrote in a July 30 Facebook post.
So far, Anjajavy dwarf geckos have been found at three sites near the northwestern coast of Madagascar, the study said.
Based on this 'rather scattered' distribution and the 'general' threat of habitat loss, researchers considered the new species to be 'at least Vulnerable, if not Endangered.'
The new species was identified by its DNA, scale pattern, texture, body proportions and other subtle physical features, the study said.
The research team included Miguel Vences, Cecilia Herrmann, Malte Multzsch, Sven Gippner, Delina Razafimanafo, Ny Ando Rahagalala, Sandratra Rakotomanga, Andolalao Rakotoarison, Frank Glaw and Aurélien Miralles.
The team also discovered two more new species of dwarf gecko: Lygodactylus arnei and Lygodactylus andavambato.
