AssetID: 54979909
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Three New Gecko Species Discovered In Cambodia's Remote Caves
Caption: Scientists have discovered not one but three new species of karst-dwelling geckos in previously unexplored limestone hills in Battambang Province, western Cambodia. Pablo Sinovas, Country Director, Fauna & Flora Cambodia Programme and survey team member, comments “Small and cryptic, species like these newly described geckos often escape notice. Yet each is a unique product of millions of years of evolution finely adapted to its own limestone outcrop, shaped by a slow, intricate dance between geology and biology.” Four populations of the striped Kamping Poi bent-toed gecko were found and identified as a new species: Cyrtodactylus kampingpoiensis. Despite being described as just one species, it is thought that, due to the geographic isolation of the karst formations, these four populations are on separate evolutionary trajectories and further genetic analyses may reveal whether they are in fact four different species instead of one. Because the newly discovered populations are separated by 5-20km of uninhabitable terrain, migration between the karst formations is extremely unlikely. Another species discovered during the survey, the Battambang leaf-toed gecko – Dixonius noctivagus – is covered in tiny leopard-like spots. A third species of gecko – Hemiphyllodactylus khpoh – was also found during the same survey and previously confirmed as a new species, described in the Zootaxa journal. Given the distribution of these newly discovered geckos, each is likely to meet the IUCN criteria of distinct genetic lineages that are Critically Endangered.
Keywords: Natural World,new species,karst-dwelling geckos,limestone hills,Battambang Province,Cambodia,Fauna & Flora,Ministry of Environment,herpetologists,La Sierra University,Bcoming project,biodiversity,tourism,mining,karst ecosystems,species protection,Cyrtodactylus kampingpoiensis,Kamping Poi bent-toed gecko,allopatric speciation,Battambang leaf-toed gecko,Dixonius noctivagus,Hemiphyllodactylus khpoh,IUCN criteria,Critically Endangered species,gecko discovery,biodiversity conservation,habitat destruction,geographic isolation,evolutionary biology,wildlife discovery,biodiversity research,new species identification,species conservation,herpetology,Cambodia wildlife,endangered species,karst landscapes,environmental threats,species protection efforts,wildlife research,ecological studies,genetic studies,species evolution,habitat preservation,species isolation
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