New day Gecko species ‘Cnemaspis brahmaputra’ discovered in Assam

In a remarkable boost to Assam’s biodiversity profile, scientists have discovered a new species of day gecko along the banks of the Brahmaputra River. 

The species, named Cnemaspis brahmaputra, marks only the second such discovery of its kind in Northeast India.

The research, published in the international journal Taprobanica on July 12, 2025, was led by a team comprising Amit Sayyed, Madhurima Das, A.A. Thasun Amarasinghe, Rupankar Bhattacharjee, and Jayaditya Purkayastha. 

The collaborative effort involved institutions such as the Wildlife Protection & Research Society (WLP), Assam Don Bosco University, and the Guwahati-based NGO Help Earth.

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Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to social media platform X to congratulate the team, calling it a “new addition to Assam’s rich biodiversity.” He added, “A new species of day gecko has been discovered on the banks of Brahmaputra & named Cnemaspis brahmaputra. This is only the 2nd species of such kind recorded in Northeast. Congratulations to all the researchers behind this discovery.”

The discovery sheds new light on the region’s unique herpetofauna and underscores the importance of continued field research in ecologically sensitive zones like the Brahmaputra floodplains.

The gecko belongs to the Cnemaspis podihuna clade and was identified through detailed morphological and ecological analysis. The researchers highlighted that the species is likely endemic to this part of Assam, further stressing the urgency to preserve its habitat.

This scientific milestone not only enriches India’s reptilian biodiversity but also signals Northeast India’s growing importance in global conservation research.