With support from Fauna & Flora International (FFI), 15 karst-adapted gecko species were recently found in Myanmar within the space of just two weeks, highlighting the outstanding biodiversity of limestone ecosystems, according to a report on the phys.org website attributed to FFI.
A team of scientists has found an astonishing fifteen new gecko species within Myanmar's karst (limestone) landscapes. The discoveries were made over a two-week period in October 2016, and included 12 new species of bent-toed gecko from the genus Cyrtodactylus and three dwarf geckos from the genus Hemiphyllodactylus.
All of the newly discovered species come from isolated limestone habitats in east-central and southern Myanmar and are thought to be restricted to the individual limestone blocks where they were found. Karst landscapes are composed of limestone, and characterised by caves, towers, and hills and high levels of endemism, with many unusual species that are found nowhere else in the world, according to the report.