Clawed forest creature found lurking near temple in India. It’s a ‘holy’ new species

The setting sun cast long shadows across a temple in southern India. As darkness fell, a clawed creature emerged from the nearby rocks and slinked off into the night.

Visiting scientists spotted the “dwarf”-like animal — and discovered a “holy” new species.

Researchers visited a temple in Tamil Nadu in 2022 as part of a large-scale lizard survey, according to a study published April 23 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. The area was part of a biodiversity hotspot known as the Western Ghats.

During their nighttime visit, researchers encountered dozens of lizards, the study said. They captured several and, after taking a closer look at the animals, realized they’d discovered a new species: Cnemaspis sanctus, or the holy dwarf gecko.

Holy dwarf geckos are considered “medium-sized,” reaching up to 3.8 inches in length, the study said. They have “relatively slender” bodies with “long” limbs and “strong” claws.” Their “short” heads have “deep” ear-openings and “small” eyes with a “thin, orange” ring.

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Photos show the brown tones of an adult and juvenile holy dwarf gecko. The full-grown lizard has a pale brown blotch running down its back with a scattering of darker brown or black spots on the rest of its body.

The baby holy dwarf gecko is darker brown with a more distinct tan-brown blotch down its back and an orange tail.

Researchers said they named the new species after the Latin word “sanctus,” meaning “one who is holy or saintly,” because it was discovered near “both a temple and a church.”

Holy dwarf geckos were found in “evergreen forest patches” near a temple, the study said. The nocturnal lizards emerged from “low stone walls and rock crevices” after dusk.

So far, holy dwarf geckos have only been found in Tamil Nadu, the study said. Tamil Nadu is a state along India’s southwestern coast and about 1,400 miles south of New Delhi.

The new species was identified by its size, body shape, scale pattern and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 16% genetic divergence from other dwarf geckos.

The research team included Akshay Khandekar, Tejas Thackeray and Ishan Agarwal. The team also discovered another new species of dwarf gecko in decaying logs.

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