Spiky creature — with ‘bent’ toes — found lurking by mountain stream is a new species

Aspen Pflughoeft
·2 min read
10

The gurgling of a mountain stream filled the warm night air in Vietnam. Scientists approached the water and noticed a spiky creature perched on a nearby rock. It was one of two new species.

Researchers conducting wildlife surveys ventured into the darkened forests of Chu Mu mountain in 2014, according to a study published June 19 in the European Journal of Taxonomy.

Walking along the “rocky stream,” they spotted a pair of lizards lurking on the rocks. They collected the small reptiles and, after taking a closer look, realized they’d discovered a new species.

The new species was named Cyrtodactylus chumuensis, or the Chu Mu bent-toed gecko, researchers said. The Chu Mu bent-toed gecko can reach about 4.7 inches in size, even with a regenerated tail. It has a “slender” body with spiky bumps running along its back.

A Cyrtodactylus chumuensis, or Chu Mu bent-toed gecko, sitting on a log.
A Cyrtodactylus chumuensis, or Chu Mu bent-toed gecko, sitting on a log.

Photos show the gecko’s “light-brown” coloring with dark brown bands and yellow speckles scattered along its body.

The Chu Mu bent-toed gecko was named after the mountain where it was discovered, researchers said. Chu Mu mountain is in Dak Lak province and about 250 miles northeast of Ho Chi Minh City.

The researchers also discovered a second new species of gecko while surveying Binh Dinh province in 2016, the study said. They spotted the lizards on trees and rocks at night, also near a stream.

Binh Dinh province is about 360 miles northeast of Ho Chi Minh City.

The stream in Binh Dinh province where Cyrtodactylus arndti, or Arndt’s bent-toed gecko, was found.
The stream in Binh Dinh province where Cyrtodactylus arndti, or Arndt’s bent-toed gecko, was found.

The second new species was named Cyrtodactylus arndti, or Arndt’s bent-toed gecko. The gecko was named after Hartmut Arndt “in recognition of his support for biodiversity research in Vietnam,” researchers said.

Arndt’s bent-toed gecko can reach about 6.8 inches in size, the study said. The geckos have a “slender” body, “sheathed” claws and rows of spiky bumps along their back. Photos show the gecko’s light brown coloring and darker brown blotches. Its eyes appear to have a yellow rim.

A Cyrtodactylus arndti, or Arndt’s bent-toed gecko, sitting on a leaf.
A Cyrtodactylus arndti, or Arndt’s bent-toed gecko, sitting on a leaf.

Researchers identified the new species as distinct based on their scale patterns and other morphological features, the study said.

DNA analysis confirmed the new gecko species were genetically distinct. Both new species had at least about 11% genetic divergence from other gecko species, the study said.

“Many areas in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam where (geckos) might occur are still poorly studied,” researchers said. “Urgent research is needed … for providing a better understanding of the population status, threats, and distribution of (gecko) species.”

The research team included Hanh Thi Ngo, Helene Hormann, Minh Duc Le, Cuong The Pham, Trung My Phung, Dang Trong Do, Sabrina Ostrowski, Truong Quang Nguyen and Thomas Ziegler.

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