Overview

• Cnemaspis brahmaputra was discovered at Dirgheswari Temple on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River facing Guwahati and becomes the second Cnemaspis species recorded in northeast India since 2000.
• The new gecko is distinguished by a larger body size, fewer mid-body scale rows, more ventral scales, absence of lower-flank tubercles and three enlarged rows of thigh scales.
• Genetic analysis places C. brahmaputra within the Cnemaspis podihuna clade, confirming significant evolutionary divergence from its Sri Lankan relatives.
• Its occurrence opposite Cnemaspis assamensis on different banks highlights the Brahmaputra’s role as both corridor and barrier in shaping regional reptile diversity.
• The species description led by Amit Sayyed and colleagues has been published in the latest issue of Taprobanica: The Journal of Asian Biodiversity.