"Bumblebee" gecko discovered in Papua New Guinea

Apr. 19, 2012 (Reuters) — A new species of gecko with black and gold bands like a bumblebee and slender toes termed a "striking surprise" has been discovered deep in the tropical forests of Papua New Guinea, the U.S. Geological survey said.


The Bumblebee Gecko (Nactus kunan) is seen on Manus Island, in this handout photo taken May 29, 2010, and released to Reuters by the U.S. Geological Survey April 19, 2012. REUTERS/Robert Fisher/U.S. Geological Survey/Handout

The lizard, which measures about 13 cm (5 inches) from head to tail and is covered with rows of skin nodules that make it easier for it to conceal itself on the forest floor, was collected on Manus Island in March, 2010 and described in a report published in the journal "Zootaxa" in April.

"We've officially named it Nactus kunan for its striking color pattern - kunan means 'bumblebee' in the local Nali Language," said Robert Fisher of the USGS Western Ecological Research Center, who with biologists from the Papua New Guinea National Museum discovered the gecko.

"It belongs to a genus of slender-toed geckos, which means these guys don't have the padded, wall-climbing toes like the common house gecko," he added in a statement.

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/bre83i07g-us-gecko/