TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsNew species of gecko discovered in the jungles of South Sulawesi
The Indonesian Institute of Sciences has discovered a new species of gecko in eastern Indonesia.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
The Indonesian Institute of Sciences has discovered a new species of gecko in eastern Indonesia. (Kompas.com/-)
T
he remote island of Tanahjampea, South Sulawesi, is home to a new gecko species discovered by researchers from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).
The gecko species, Cyrtodactylus tanahjampea, is the 36th species of bent-toed geckos in Indonesia, of a total of 233 worldwide.
According to Kompas.com, Amir Hamidy, a herpetology expert at LIPI, explained that it had taken eight years to confirm the status of the new-found gecko species. This year, LIPI can finally confirm that the species is new.
The new gecko species has some unique morphological features that set it apart.
“Through detailed observation, we can see that there are slight bulges in the middle of each of the gecko’s scales, especially around its arms and legs. That is the specific characteristic of the Tanahjampea gecko,” Amir was quoted as saying.
Furthermore, instead of sticking to surfaces like household geckos, the Tanahjampea gecko, which lives in the jungle and along rivers, hangs from trees by its tail.
The newly discovered gecko is classified as endemic and its closest relative is said to be the Cyrtodactylus halmahericus from Halmahera Island.
Read also: New beetle discovered by eco-tourists named after Leonardo DiCaprio
Following the discovery, Amir hopes other Indonesian researchers will be able to unlock more of Indonesia’s biodiversity. He believes that it is possible for many more gecko species to be found during the next 10 years. (anm/mut)
