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News: The Jeypore ground gecko, once believed extinct for 130 years, was rediscovered by an Indian scientist in 2010 in the Eastern Ghats of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
About Jeypore Ground Gecko
- Jeypore Ground Gecko is a reptile endemic to India.
- It is also known as the Jeypore Indian gecko or the Patinghe Indian gecko.
- Scientific name: Its scientific name is Cyrtodactylus jeyporensis.
- Habitat: It lives in forests of the northern Eastern Ghats of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, at elevations of 1,000–1,500 m.
- Distribution: It is found in the Eastern Ghats and is known to be present in four locations including southern Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh.
- It was first noted and described by a British colonel in 1877 and rediscovered by a team of researchers in 2011 after a gap of over 130 years.
- Characteristics:
- Appearance: It is a small, beautifully patterned gecko with distinctive large, hexagonal scales on its back. Its total length is 3.6 in.
- Diet: It is insectivorous and carnivorous ground hunters.
- Behaviour: It is nocturnal and usually hides under rocks and logs during the day.
- Threats:
- Habitat destruction,
- Human activities and
- Illegal smuggling for the international pet trade threaten its survival.
- Conservation status:
- Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
- CITES: Appendix II
