Scientists discover 6 new lizard species in Western Ghats

Six new lizard species of 'Dravidogecko' family have been identified in the Western Ghats by a group of scientists, who claim it to be a significant development as only one species of the genus was known so far.

The study indicates the importance of Western Ghats, the world heritage mountain range traversing the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat, as a 'biodiversity hotspot,' the researchers said.

The study and sample collection was done over the last four years and the research paper describing the new species was published in the Zootaxa journal of New Zealand on Monday, Bengaluru-based herpetologist R Chaitanya, who led the research