Two New Giant Bent-Toed Gecko Species Discovered in New Guinea
Posted on March 7, 2016
Two new species of giant bent-toed geckos have been discovered in New Guinea. Both of the new species belong to the genus Cyrtodactylus, which is the most diverse gecko genus with over 200 known species.
The Cyrtodactylus geckos are known for their slender curved toes. They are found in Asia and Australia. One of the newly described species, Cyrtodactylus rex, is the largest species in the genus and one of the biggest geckos in the world.
Bent-toed geckos generally reach no more than 13 cm (5.1 inches) in length. The C. rex gecko (pictured above) can grow to a length of 17 cm (6.7 inches). It is characterized by alternating regions of dark grey brown and medium brown. The "rex" portion of the name means king in Latin.
The second new species has been named Cyrtodactyulus equestris. It reaches a length of up to 14 cm. It has alternating regions of light and medium brown on its upper side.
A research paper on the new geckos was published here in the journal, ZooKeys.
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