‘Dwarf’-like creature found sleeping ‘upside-down’ on branch. It’s a new species

As darkness fell across a forest in Madagascar, a “dwarf”-like creature climbed to the edge of a small branch and settled in to sleep. But it wasn’t going to be a restful night.

Visiting scientists found the dozing animal — and discovered a new species.

Researchers spent over 20 years visiting dozens of sites across Madagascar to survey wildlife, according to a study published June 13 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. The large-scale project had an elusive goal: untangle the identities of similar-looking gecko species.

To do this, researchers captured dozens of geckos and studied their physical appearances and DNA, the study said. Eventually, a pattern began to emerge.

Geckos from Ankarafantsika National Park had unique DNA, the study said. Researchers realized they’d discovered a new species: Lygodactylus herilalai, or Herilala’s dwarf gecko.

Herilala’s dwarf geckos can reach about 2.5 inches in length, the study said. It has “relatively large eyes” and a “brownish” or “grayish” body. A photo shows the lizard’s dark brown mosaic pattern and the gray stripe running down its back.

Researchers described the new species as “cryptic,” meaning it looks “very similar” to or “indistinguishable” from other related gecko species.

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During the day, Herilala’s dwarf geckos are active on tree trunks, researchers said. At night, they were found resting or sleeping on the ends of small branches. One gecko was seen sleeping “upside-down.”

“When disturbed, (the new species) would descend the trunk to hide under loose bark, underneath the roots, or in fallen dry leaves among leaf litter,” the study said.

Researchers said they named the new species after Herilala Jean Aimé Rudolph Randriamahazo, a “field herpetologist and conservation biologist” from Madagascar, because of his work on reptiles at Ankarafantsika National Park and broader conservation efforts.

So far, Herilala’s dwarf gecko has only been found at two locations in Ankarafantsika National Park where it is “quite common,” the study said. This park is on the northwestern part of the island.

The new species was primarily identified by its DNA as well as its scale pattern and other subtle physical features, the study said.

The research team included Miguel Vences, Malte Multzsch, Milena Zerbe, Sven Gippner, Franco Andreone, Angelica Crottini, Frank Glaw, Jörn Köhler, Sandratra Rakotomanga, Solohery Rasamison and Achille Raselimanana.

The team also discovered two more new species of dwarf gecko: Lygodactylus schwitzeri and Lygodactylus morii.

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