New gecko species Cyrtodactylus jayadityai described from North Tripura forests

What happened: A team of researchers from Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram described a new bent-toed gecko species, Cyrtodactylus jayadityai, from the lowland forests of North Tripura. The formal description was published in the peer-reviewed European Journal of Taxonomy on 14 April 2026, and widely covered in Indian science media in the days that followed.

How it was identified: The team used an integrative approach — comparing morphology, performing statistical analysis of body measurements, and sequencing the mitochondrial ND2 gene. The new gecko shows a 4.7 to 5.2 per cent genetic divergence from its closest relative, Cyrtodactylus tripuraensis, which is well above the threshold typically accepted as a species-level difference in the genus.

Where it lives: The species is currently known only from a tiny patch of 8 to 12 square kilometres of forest near Rowa Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining reserve forests along the Assam-Tripura border. Such micro-endemic species are highly vulnerable to land-use change. The authors have proposed listing it as Data Deficient (DD) on the IUCN Red List until more population surveys are done.

Why it matters: With this addition, the genus Cyrtodactylus now has 31 recognised species in Northeast India, underlining the region's status as part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot — one of 36 such hotspots globally. Most of these species have been described in just the last 15 years, showing how poorly Northeast India's herpetofauna has been documented.

India angle: The discovery is a reminder that India's biodiversity baseline is still being filled in. It also strengthens the case for protecting small, fragmented forest patches like Rowa, which are often left out when planning corridors that focus on large mammals like elephants and tigers.

Exam angle: Remember the species name (Cyrtodactylus jayadityai), the state (Tripura), the protected area linked to the find (Rowa Wildlife Sanctuary), the count of Cyrtodactylus species in the Northeast (31), and that the Indo-Burma hotspot is one of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots.