A divergent population of Hemidactylus frenatus Duméril & Bibron, 1836 (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from the northern Eastern Ghats, India

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S.M.M. Javed
C. Srinivasulu
K.L. Rao
T. Raseswari
F. Tampal

Abstract

A population of Hemidactylus cf. frenatus Duméril & Bibron, 1836, was recorded from Tyda and its vicinity in the Ananthagiri Hills, northern Eastern Ghats, Vishakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Evaluation of morphometric and meristic characters supported by karyotyping revealed that populations from the Ananthagiri Hills are considerably different from other populations of H. frenatus occurring in India. We provide the detailed description of the male of this divergent population.

Article Details

Section
Communications
Author Biographies

S.M.M. Javed

Mr. S.M. Maqsood Javed is a Senior Field Researcher cum Education Officer. His interest lies in biodiversity studies with special emphasis on arachnofauna and herpetofauna.

C. Srinivasulu

Dr. C. Srinivasulu is Assistant Professor in Department of Zoology. He is the head of the research laboratory at Osmania University that focuses on biodiversity inventorying, conservation, ecology and animal taxonomy with special reference to Eastern Ghats and Godavari River basin in Andhra Pradesh.

K.L. Rao

Dr. K. Lakshmi Rao is working as a Scientist. She has been associated with Chromosomal diagnostics services. Her group research activities focus on reproductive disorders. She has established primary cell lines from reptiles especially from various Indian snakes and crocodiles which were subsequently characterized cytogenetically.

T. Raseswari

Ms. T. Raseswari is a Technical Assistant, under Dr. K. Lakshmi Rao and works on cytogenetics.

F. Tampal

Ms. Farida Tampal is State Director of the Andhra Pradesh State Office of World Wide Fund for Nature – India. She is interested in understanding the biodiversity of the Eastern Ghats with special emphasis on arachnofauna and herpetofauna.