JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH Journal homepage: www.jakraya.com/journal/jwr

ORIGINAL ARTICLE The New Record of East Indian Leopard Gecko Eublepharis hardwckii , Gray 1827 (Squamata: Sauria: Eublepharidae ) from Lakhari Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Gajpati District, Odisha India

Udaya Kumar Das 1* , Bibhuti Bhusan Behera 2, Barika Behera 3, Sanjeeb Kumar Behera 4 and Amita P. Dash 5

1Wildlife Research Fellow, Wildlife Organisation, Odisha State Forest Department, Government of Odisha, O/o PrCCF(WL) and CWLW, Prakruti Bhavan, 5 th floor BDA Apartment, Nilakanthanagar, Nayapalli Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. 2Assistant Conservator of Forest (SB-I) Ghumusur South Forest Division Bhanjanagar, Ganjam Odisha, India. 3Secton Forest Officer (Forester) Chandiput Section Paralakhemundi Forest Division, Gajapati, Odisha, India. 4, 5 Members, Society for Blackbuck Protection Committee, Bhetnoi, Ganjam, Odisha, India.

Abstract East Indian leopard Gecko ( Eblepharis hardwckii , Gray 1827) is an

endemic reptile species native resident to the Eastern Ghats Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal and Bangladesh. It will be presence in *Corresponding Author: uncertain locations in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. We conducted the study to evaluate the habitat patches in Udaya Kumar Das suitable areas in South Odisha, we also gather data though every field personnel employed in forest protection works in and around the sanctuary Email: [email protected] area. This endangered species of lizards conserved as Scheduled I category protected animal under wildlife protection Act 1972 and is listed as “Least Received: 09/11/2019 Concern” in IUCN Red list category. The animal occupies more suitable Accepted: 05/12/2019 forest patches with small to big stones to stay below forming holes. Our

results also reveal that the distribution beyond southern bank of the River Rushikulya from Soruda town to another tributary Badanadi and Ramanadi in Chandragiri town in Paralakhemundi division.

Keywords: Leopard gecko, South Odisha, Rushikulya, Lakhari valley wildlife sanctuary (LWS).

1. Introduction concerned as poisonous in the region. The Eastern The East Indian leopard gecko (Eublepharis Ghats parts in Odisha are isolated hill ranges from hardwickii ) was one known type is the leopard geckos Paralakhemundi in South Western to Nilagiri and under Eublepharis genus and under Eublephaidae Baripada region in northern part of coastal Odisha. It family. It was first described by the British zoologist covers the Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Boudh, John Edward Gray in 1827. Based on specimens from Nayagarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul, Jajpur Chittagong, Penang (Chittagong, now in Bangladesh). Keonjhar Bhadrakh and Baleswar district, across the The East Indian Gecko, Eublepharis hardwickii has coastal plains of the state. been reported from Chhotanagpur (Jharkhand) by Smith (1935). The taxa belonging to the genus 2. Materials and Methods Eublepharis and included under family Eublepharidae since past 20 years confirmed by A.M. Bauer form 2.1 Study Area 2011. The etymology of their name is 'eu' = good The survey was carried mainly based on (=true) |'blephar' = eyelid, and all have fully functional occurrence, availability of data during field surveys in eyelids. The leopard gecko Eublepharis hardwickii the Lakhari WS in Gajapati district during 2016 and (Gray, 1827) is one of the key species of lizards that 2018. We used random sampling method in suitable distributed in Odisha region including the Lakhari areas where other works like meadow development and valley sanctuary. This lizard is well known locally in raise of fodder grass in the sanctuary and adjoining Dhenkanal and Athagarh area as “Kalakuta” and area. The entire sanctuary was surveyed for camera trap

Journal of Wildlife Research | October-December, 2019 | Volume 07 | Issue 04 | Pages 59-62 © 2019 Jakraya Das et al...The New Record of East Indian Leopard Gecko Eblepharis hardwckii, Gray 1827 (Squamata: Sauria: Eublepharidae) from Lakhari Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Gajpati District, Odisha India during all India tiger monitoring works. Night recently reported and its population is known to have observations were done near road side forests in declined (Mahata and Mohanta, 2006). It has also been Baliganda, Chandiput and Chandragiri and Mohana reported from adjoining states like Bihar, Uttar area during camping. Pradesh, West Bengal (Smith, 1935), Odisha and Madhya Pradesh (Smith, 1935; Singh, 1984; Khajuria, 3. Results and Discussion 1986; Mishra et al., 1996; Chandra et al., 1997; It has interesting zoo geographical distribution Sharma, 2002). The status of E. hardwickii in in Odisha. The species is found in Similipal area above Jharkhand as a rare species is thus apparent and is as 450m msl and in Saptasajya and Kapilas hills it is per existing literature (Chandra et al., 1997; Sharma, found in altitudes from 100m- 535m msl at Devasabha 2002). It was reported in five distinct places like i) area. It is found in almost plain forests in of Dhenkanal Hazaribag Wildlife Sanctuary, North Karnpura Valley, and Athagada division and abundant in Saptasajya Meru of Hazaribag (Hazaribag); Parasnath Wildlife areas along the North of Mahanadi river. Present study Sanctuary (Giridih), Koderma Wildlife Sanctuary and reveals newer patches in Paniganda area at an altitude Gautam Buddha Wildlife Sanctuary (Koderma) and of 600m in Mohana range and in Balliganda area at an Topchanchi Wildlife Sanctuary (Dhanbad) (Prakash et altitude of 550m of the core area of the Lakhari valley al., 2014). In the Eastern ghats hills of Vizag in Andhra wildlife sanctuary. The details about the distribution of Pradesh and Panchmari area in Madhya Pradesh have the species were not studied south of Mahanadi. natural distribution of E. hardwickii . It has been However, the details of the distribution came to recently observed in good numbers in localities in scientific community after the ground survey exercise South Odisha. Mistakenly the harmless species is killed during the first phase tiger habitat survey in different as a most poisonous gecko species as the body wildlife sanctuaries. It is a nocturnal, insectivorous coloration is checkered black, brown and whitish species which remains hidden underneath rocks and collared bands in tail. The local name Kalakuta in stones during the day (Mishra et al., 1996). It has been Odiya manifests it as a poisonous animal and death is assessed as Least Concern by IUCN Red List (IUCN, insured after it bites. Which is a wrong concept? The 2011) because of its wide distribution across the English name Leopard gecko complies its banded and eastern peninsular India. The species is also seen in patched coloration as in Leopard, the second big cat forest fringe villages near Chandiput, Chandragiri (Chita bagha or Kalarapatiria bagha) in India. For sections of the sanctuary. However, previous reports in further conservation view of interest, the local people Odisha that this species is "not rare" in the vicinity of should know them as Chita or Chitra Jhitipiti in Odiaya the village Tikarpada, on the banks of the river language instead the furious name Kalakuta which is Mahanadi in Odisha (Singh LAK,1984). Its occurrence has a thought of miss - placed dreaded or mostly in Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary of Jharkhand (borders poisonous. with the states of Orissa and West Bengal) has been

Fig 1: Map of Gajapati Distict showing blocks Mohana and Ramagiri & Fig 2: Map of Odisha showing Gajapati District.

Journal of Wildlife Research | October-December, 2019 | Volume 07 | Issue 04 | Pages 59-62 © 2019 Jakraya 60 Das et al...The New Record of East Indian Leopard Gecko Eblepharis hardwckii, Gray 1827 (Squamata: Sauria: Eublepharidae) from Lakhari Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Gajpati District, Odisha India

Fig 3: Yellow button in Google earth map of survey sites for East Indian leopard gecko.

Fig 4: Landscape of the Habitat surveyed in Lakhari WS and Mahendragiri regions of Gajapati District, Odisha.

Fig 5: East Indian leopard gecko ( Eublepharis hardwickii ) rested under a boulder that replaced for search for gecko survey in Paniganda area, Mohana range. 19°23'2.36"N 84°18'32.03"E alt 603m msl.

Journal of Wildlife Research | October-December, 2019 | Volume 07 | Issue 04 | Pages 59-62 © 2019 Jakraya 61 Das et al...The New Record of East Indian Leopard Gecko Eblepharis hardwckii, Gray 1827 (Squamata: Sauria: Eublepharidae) from Lakhari Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Gajpati District, Odisha India

Fig 6: East Indian leopard gecko ( Eublepharis hardwickii ) climbing a tree after disturbed during meadow clearance work at Baliganda area, Chandragiri Range. Site 2 19°21'15.46"N 84°19'54.74"E alt- 657 m msl.

4. Conclusion The Team is acknowledged before the DFO, Sri This study confirmed that the distribution of the Rohit Kumar Singh, IFS as the person of enthusiasm in Eublepharis hardwikii in south Odisha and describe the field and enhances field surveys. He always advises important informative note to the geographic to conserve the biodiversity with little disturbance to distribution of the species in east India. The study also habitat during scientific survey. We are also grateful to reveals further distribution of the East Indian leopard RCCF Sri Jitendra Kumar IFS, who also inspire to do gecko in Mahendragiri region of Odisha and field surveys periodically in different seasons a year. neighboring area of Andhra Pradesh. The distribution We are also greatfull to Dr Anantaram Kar, the was also confirmed by availability in natural habitat in Cultural researcher in the Gajapati region and to Range Chhatisgarh. Further detailed study is to be need in the Officer Sri Fakir Charan Behera who provide logistics western part of Odisha. and accommodation with camping gears for different research activities. Acknowledgements

References Champion HG and Seth SK (1968). A Revised Survey of the Hazaribag, Jharkhand, India. Reptilian rap n0 16 March Forest types of India, Government of India Press, New 2014. Delhi , 27: 404. Sharma RC (2002). The fauna of India and the adjacent Chandra G, Chatterjee SN, Datta C, Majumdar M and Nath A countries-Reptilia (Sauria) Volume II, Zoological (1997). Occurrence of the fat tailed gecko, Eublepharis Survey of India, Kolkata , 148-150. hardwickii Grey (Sauria: Gekkonidae) with remarks on Singh LAK (1984). Eublepharis hardwickii (Reptilia, the variation in certain taxonomic characteristics. Gekkonidae). The Kalakuta observed at Tikerpada, Journal Bombay Natural History Society , 94: 165-166. Orissa. Journal Bombay Natural History Society , 81(3): Khajuria H (1986). On habits of some Central Indian Lizard 708-709. with morphological notes on Eublepharis hardwickii Smith MA (1935). The fauna of British India, including Gray Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Ceylon and Burma, Reptilia and Amphibia-Sauria. 83(1):19-23. Taylor and Francis, London , 2: 38+440. Mahata MC and Mohanta (2016) Dalma wildlife Sanctuary Srinivasulu C, Srinivasulu B and Das I (2011). Eublepharis with reference to Bishnu Sendra: An overview, pp-145- hardwickii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened 155. In B.N Pandey G.K.Kulkarni(eds) “Biodiversity Species 2011:e.T174115A7017428. and Environnment” APH Publication Corporation, New http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011- Delhi. .RLTS.T174115A7017428.en. Mishra CG, Patnaik SK, Sinha SK, Kar SK, Karand CS and Singh LAK (1996). Wildlife Wealth of Orissa. Forest Department Wildlife Wing, Orissa Government Press, Madhupatna, Cuttack , 46-47. Prakash S, Raziuddin M and Mishra A (2014). Record of East Indian Leopard Gecko Eublepharis hardwickii Gray,1827 (Squamata: Sauria: Eublepharidae) from

Journal of Wildlife Research | October-December, 2019 | Volume 07 | Issue 04 | Pages 59-62 © 2019 Jakraya 62