The endangered ‘Indian golden gecko’, a nocturnal reptile known to live in crevices, was sighted for the first time near Kapila Theertham in Tirupati, which is part of the Seshachalam biosphere reserve.
It is said to be the only one in its category to be under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
Wildlife photographer ‘Birdman’ Karthik, who was alerted about the pale golden coloured lizard (calodactylodes aureus), rushed to the spot and went on a clicking spree. The lizard was last sighted over a decade back in the rock crevices near the ‘Silathoranam’ (natural arch) on Tirumala hills. The reptile generally prefers to stay in cooler places and avoids sunlight.
The lizard is endemic to the eastern ghats of India, which remains largely unexplored by the scientific community.
