Thailand Nature Explorer, a biodiversity and environmental preservation group, has discovered 10 new species of geckos and lizards that are believed to exist nowhere else in the world.
The group found the new species last year and introduced them to the public yesterday amid concern that if the unique creatures are not put on the list of protected animals immediately, they could disappear."What is most worrying to us is that newly discovered species are not normally included on the list of protected species. This raises the fear the new species will be particularly prone to being caught and sold in markets," Non Phanitwong, the founder of the group, said.
He called on the government to come up with a new legal mechanism that would see any newly discovered species promptly included on the protected animal list.
The new species were named as Tuk Kai Tham Nuea and Tuk Kai Dam Nuii (Cyrtodactylus dumnuii) which are commonly found in caves in the North and Tuk Kai Tham Plong Thong (Cyrtodactylus auribalteatus) which was discovered in the Thung Salaeng Luang National Park in Phitsanulok.
Tuk Kae Tham Hin Pun (Gekko lauhachindai) lives in several caves in Saraburi and Jing Jok Niew Yao Ajan Thanya (Cnemaspis chanardi) was discovered in Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Krabi, Phangnga, Trang and Satun.
Tuk Kai is in the same species as Tuk Kae but is smaller.
Jing Jok Niew Yao Khlong Nakha (Cnemaspis vandeventeri) was found in Ranong, Phangnga, and Phuket, while Jing Jok Niew Yao Mo Sumeth (Cnemaspis kamolnorranathi) is located only in Surat Thani.
Jing Jok Niew Yao Hua Si Som (Cnemaspis huaseesom) was found in Kanchanaburi and Jing Jok Niew Yao Kho Jud (Cnemaspis punctatonuchalis) was discovered in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
In Narathiwat and Yala, the group discovered Jing Jok Niew Yao Narathiwat (Cnemaspis narathiwatensis), while Jing Jok Niew Yao Niyom Wan (Cnemaspis niyomwanae) was reported to be thriving in Trang and Satun.
Gecko, lizard finds bring local species to 60
The Nation 17 Feb 11;
Thai taxonomists have discovered 10 native geckos and lizards during the past year, bringing the total number of gecko/house-lizard species in Thailand to 60.
"This is a milestone for Thailand in terms of studies of reptiles and amphibians," Non Phanitwong, doctorate candidate in environmental science at Kasetsart University, said Wednesday.
"All these geckos and lizards are found only in Thailand," said Non, who is a co-founder of Siamensis, a group of conservationists working to protect biodiversity and the environment.
The newly identified species have been officially recognised and published in "Zootaxa", an international journal.
The research involved many organisations, including Kasetsart, Siamensis, the National Science Museum, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, and the Zoological Park Organisation (ZPO).
Many of the species were named after some distinguished Thais.
Cyrtodactylus dumnuii, which looks like a gecko but is smaller and has no sticky feet, was named after ZPO chairman Sophon Damnui.
Gekko lauhachindai, a gecko, was named after Kasetsart lecturer Virayuth Lauhachinda.
Cnemaspis chanardi, a lizard, was named after National Science Museum researcher Thanya Chan-ard, while another lizard, Cnemaspis kamolnorranathi, was named after ZPO senior executive Sumeth Kamolnorranath.
The other new species were Cyrtodactylus auribalteatus, Cnemaspis vandeventeri, Cnemaspis huaseesom, Cnemaspis punctatonuchalis, Cnemaspis narathiwatensis and Cnemaspis niyomwanae.