“Two and a half” new species of leaf-toed geckos have been discovered in Galápagos

A group of scientists led by Tropical Herping (TH), Universidad San Francisco de Quito (GSC-USFQ), and the Galápagos National Park Directorate (PNG) announced the discovery of “two and a half” new volcanic-rock-dwelling geckos in the Galápagos Islands. The study was published in the book: Reptiles of the Galápagos.

Two of the geckos are completely new species discovered on the volcanoes of Isabela Island, whereas the remaining gecko is not actually a full new species… but sort of a “half new” species. It is actually a subspecies discovered in 1973 that was never given full species status, probably because detailed genetic analyses were not available at the time, but now, thanks to the use of modern genetics, this “half species” has now been brought back into the spotlight by being granted full-species status. In scientific terms, the species’ name has been “resurrected.”

Find out more at Tropical Herping web here.