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A New Species of Day Gecko of the genus Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata : Gekkonidae) from the Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu, India
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Based on the field explorations in the Western Ghats, a day gecko of the genus Cnemaspis 1887 is described from the Nilgiri hill ranges of Tamil Nadu. A medium sized gecko is distinguished from all the other congeners by a set of distinct morphological characters. Current taxonomic issues persisting among the members of genus Cnemaspis reported from the Western Ghats and India are discussed. The new species is found to have restrictive range of distribution in the higher elevations of Nilgiri hills. The discovery of a new high altitude endemic species indicates a need of further explorations in Nilgiri hill ranges.
Keywords
Cnemaspis, Gekkonidae, New Species, Nilgiri Hills, Taxonomy, Western Ghats.
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