By Ifham Nizam
A critically endangered new species of geckos (Cnemaspis lokugei) was discovered from Haputale and Idalgashinna areas in Sri Lanka’s central highlands. This was the first to be recorded so far for 2021.
The newly discovered species was named in honor of Ajith Nethkelum Lokuge, a pioneer ecologist, analogue forestry specialist and a senior member of Young Zoologists’ Association (YZA) of Sri Lanka, for his significant contribution towards environmental conservation and research in Sri Lanka.
“With the new find, the number of Cnemaspis species has increased to 38”, says lead scientist Suranjan Karunarathna of the Nature Explorations and Education Team.