Vietnamese scientists participate in discovering new species of stone lizard

Vietnamese scientists and international colleagues have discovered a new species of rock lizard living on limestone mountains in central Laos.

Aaron Bauer's rock lizard. Photo: Ngo Van Tri

The Aaron Bauer rock lizard (scientific name Gekko aaronbaueri sp.) was discovered in Khammouane Province, central Laos. It was named after Professor Aaron Bauer, University of Pennsylvania, USA, who made great contributions to the scientific discovery of reptile species in the world.

This species has a maximum head-body length of about 80 mm, with many white spots mixed with yellow streaks on the back. Their habitat is limestone mountains.

This is the discovery of Mr. Ngo Van Tri, an officer of the Institute of Tropical Biology under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; Lao and French colleagues and the Department of Education of Hoa Vang district, Da Nang.

Zoologist Ngo Van Tri said the new discovery points out previous errors in the distribution of the Gekko scientiadventura in Laos, confirming that the Gekko is endemic to Vietnam. This species is found in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

The research was published in the journal Zootaxa on January 27.

According to VnExpress