As Nepal’s reptiles are one of the least studied among the country’s diverse flora and fauna, researchers have long been saying that it could be home to numerous species waiting to be discovered by science.

Herpetologist Santosh Bhattarai, a PhD student at Federation University Australia, is one of the handful of scientists who have dedicated their careers to studying smaller herps such as lizards, geckos and frogs across Nepal. He has been actively involved in raising awareness about the dark sitana (Sitana fusca), a critically endangered lizard endemic to Nepal.

Bhattarai and his team recently discovered three new-to-science species of bent-toed geckos (Cyrtodactylus genus).

According to a study documenting the discovery published in the journal Zootaxa, the nocturnal lizards, known for their camouflaging abilities, were found in the forests and rocky terrains of the Chitwan Annapurna Landscape.

The newly identified species have been named Cyrtodactylus chitwanensis (Chitwan bent-toed gecko), Cyrtodactylus annapurnaensis (Annapurna bent-toed gecko) and Cyrtodactylus karanshahi (Karan’s bent-toed gecko) — the last one in honor of Nepal’s renowned herpetologist Karan Bahadur Shah.

Mongabay’s Abhaya Raj Joshi spoke with Bhattarai, who is currently based in Australia, over the phone to discuss the new findings and their implications. The following interview has been translated from Nepali and edited for clarity.

Mongabay: Could you please tell us how you discovered these new species?

Santosh Bhattarai: Well, we made the discovery during my PhD field research in the Chitwan Annapurna Landscape in Nepal.

My research focuses on amphibians and reptiles in the landscape, which is home to the Annapurna Conservation Area as well as the Chitwan National Park. Both areas are of high conservation value.

As part of the study, we are looking at the distribution of amphibians and reptiles across various elevations and the various threats they face. To do that, we carried out systematic surveys across the landscape. That’s when we came across the new species.

Mongabay:Why did you choose the Chitwan Annapurna Landscape for your study?

Santosh Bhattarai: Nepal’s conservation focus is often limited to a few charismatic species like tigers, rhinos, elephants, red pandas and snow leopards because they attract funding and public interest.

However, as herpetologists, we feel that other species, including reptiles and amphibians, are often understudied mainly because of lack of funding and access to areas where amphibians and reptiles are documented.

We chose Chitwan because it is home to Nepal’s first protected area. It is also a biodiversity hotspot, and a crucial ecological corridor between India in the south and China in the north.

The region also provides a relatively accessible environment to study amphibians and reptiles, making it an ideal location to start this research. This means that it would be easier for future researchers to retrace our steps and for awareness campaigns to engage with communities.

Mongabay: Could you tell us how you went about with the research methodology?

Santosh Bhattarai: When we designed the study, we set up 16 fixed survey plots across different elevations in the Chitwan-Annapurna landscape, ensuring a broad representation of all broad habitat types. Then for the fieldwork, we conducted both daytime and nighttime surveys as we know that different species are active during different times of the day and night.

Our team of 3-4 people camped in the pre-determined plots and systematically scoured these areas for amphibians and reptiles, recording species presence, environmental conditions and behavioral patterns.

Mongabay: Could you share details about the three new species you described?

Santosh Bhattarai: Before the discovery of these three new species, Nepal had three already-known bent-toed geckos: Two species from the easternmost corner of Nepal from Ilam and one species from the westernmost corner, from Dadeldhura. The huge geographical gap between these species and varied suitable habitats in between these locations had always made us speculate there should be more species than previously discovered.

They were found at elevations of around 980-1,600 meters (3,215-5,250 feet). Each species was unique, and their discoveries required targeted searches.

Cyrtodactylus chitwanensis, which we named Chitwan bent-toed gecko, was discovered in the Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape, with specimens collected from Bandipur in Tanahun District and Kabilas in Chitwan District. The region is characterized by subtropical forests and hilly terrain, providing an ideal habitat for bent-toed geckos. Its discovery was particularly significant as it bridged the known geographical gap in the distribution of bent-toed geckos within Nepal, confirming the presence of the genus in the central part of the country.

Similarly, Cyrtodactylus annapurnaensis, which we named the Annapurna bent-toed gecko, is found within the Annapurna Conservation Area, specifically in Lwang and Birethanti in Kaski District. Its distribution within Nepal’s largest protected area highlights the importance of conservation in these biodiverse mountain ecosystems.

Cyrtodactylus karanshahi, which we named Karan’s bent-toed gecko, was discovered in the Manaslu Conservation Area, specifically along the route from Philim to Chisapani in Gorkha District, at an elevation of 1,590 m (5,220 ft) above sea level.

Mongabay: Which of the three new species do you find most significant?

Santosh Bhattarai: All three are interesting, but from a conservation perspective, the one found in Chitwan [the Chitwan bent-toed gecko] is the most concerning. Unlike the other two, which were found within protected areas, the Chitwan bent-toed gecko was found outside national park boundaries, in areas facing rapid habitat degradation due to roads, sand mining, and other human activities.

Mongabay: What threats do geckos face in Nepal?

Santosh Bhattarai: There is very little data on reptiles such as geckos. Unlike tigers and rhinos, which have well-documented populations, smaller nocturnal species living in rocky or forested areas often go unnoticed. Environmental impact assessments (EIA) are usually conducted only during the daytime, meaning nocturnal species such as geckos and lizards are overlooked.

Additionally, habitat destruction through land-use change, mining and infrastructure development is a major threat. Since these species are not highly mobile, even a small habitat loss can wipe out local populations permanently. In some cases, they may become extinct before we even document them.

Mongabay: How are new species named? Why didn’t you name them after yourself?

Santosh Bhattarai: Naming needs to follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. A species can be named based on unique traits, location, or to honor an individual.

For example, one of our discoveries was named after Karan Shah, a renowned herpetologist who has made significant contributions to Nepal’s reptile research. We decided to do it to honor his contributions to herpetology in Nepal.

Mongabay: Your study was based on DNA sequencing. It is said that DNA sequencing studies in Nepal are difficult as researchers aren’t allowed to take samples abroad.

Santosh Bhattarai: Yes, there is some grain of truth to what you said. However, in our case, it wasn’t so difficult. We carried out the basic polymerase chain reaction [PCR] analysis ourselves at the National Trust for Nature Conservation [NTNC] lab in Chitwan and sent the data to a lab in India for sequencing. This simplified the whole process. We compared the DNA sequence data with the global database and found that the geckos belonged to new-to-science species.

Mongabay: What’s next for your research?

Santosh Bhattarai: We are continuing surveys and genetic analysis to confirm more potential new species which we can’t reveal just yet.

Our goal is to improve documentation and conservation measures for Nepal’s lesser-known reptiles before habitat loss pushes them toward extinction.

Banner image: An individual  of a newly discovered gecko species in Nepal now named Karan’s bent-toed gecko after veteran Nepali herpetologist Karan Bahadur Shah. Image courtesy of Santosh Bhattarai,

Nepal’s shifting biodiversity research landscape: Interview with Karan Bahadur Shah

Citation:

Bhattarai, S., Gautam, B., Neupane, B. P., Khandekar, A., Thackeray, T., Agarwal, I., … Wright, W. (2025). A review of the genus Cyrtodactylus Gray 1827 (squamata: Gekkonidae) of Nepal with descriptions of three new species. Zootaxa, 5594(3), 401–451. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5594.3.1