A New Species of Hemidactylus Goldfuss, 1820 (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from Sri Lanka with Redescription of H. hunae Deraniyagala, 1937

Researchers have identified a new species of Hemidactylus gecko from the southern face peneplain foothills of Sri Lanka's Central Highlands, distinct from its close relative, H. hunae, through detailed morphological analysis. This discovery is marked by unique traits such as adult males reaching up to 121.2 mm in snout-vent length, specific dorsal scalation patterns with conical tubercles, and distinctive body markings including black-edged bright saddles from the occiput to the tail tip. The study also provides a comprehensive redescription of H. hunae based on its adult female holotype. The research employs comparative morphological analysis, focusing on key anatomical features to differentiate between species.

Thasun Amarasinghe, A. A., Karunarathna, S., Campbell, P. D., Madawala, M., & de Silva, A. (2021). A New Species of Hemidactylus Goldfuss, 1820 (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from Sri Lanka with Redescription of H. hunae Deraniyagala, 1937. Herpetologica, 77(3). https://doi.org/10.1655/herpetologica-d-21-00003.1