RAP #15, January 2013 Range extension of Indian Golden specimens of Beddome, and treated aureus in Andhra Pradesh, India these hills as Tripattur Hills from Tamil Nadu. After Beddome’s collection, the 1 2 3 4 Y. Amarnath Reddy* , P. Indira , T. Pullaiah , B. Sadasivaiah , K. Indian Golden Gecko was rediscovered Raja Kullai Swamy5 and S. Sandhya Rani6 by Daniel & Bhushan (1985) after 115 1,2 Department of Zoology, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, Andhra years from Seshachalam and also from Pradesh 515003, India. 3,4,5,6 Department of Botany, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, Velikonda Hills of southern Eastern Andhra Pradesh 515003, India. Ghats of Andhra Pradesh (Daniel et [email protected] (corresponding author), [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], 5raju.botany@gmail. al. 1986). They mentioned the type com, [email protected] locality of the as Tirupati Hills. It is also reported from South Arcot District, near Vellore Town of Tamil INTRODUCTION further west from the known range. Nadu (Daniel 2002; Rajasekhar & Kumar The study area is a broken hill with 2007), Papikonda Hills, East Godavari, The Gondwana relic steep ravines and ridges and is a part Khammam, Visakhapatnam districts Calodactylodes is endemic to India and of Eastern Ghats spurs. The vegetation of Andhra Pradesh (Javed et al. 2007; Sri Lanka and is represented by two in the study area is mainly dry Sreekar et al. 2010), Niyamgiri Hills of species, C. aureus (Indian Golden Gecko) deciduous and scrub. These forests are Odisha (Dutta et al. 2005) and southern and C. illingworthorum (Sri Lankan dominated by huge rock boulders with Chhattisgarh (Sreekar et al. 2010). All the Golden Gecko) (Bauer & Das 2001). an elevation range of 300 to 750 m. The above areas are very rich in vegetation, During the past two years, the floristic soils are mainly red. The temperature rainfall, humidity (except Vellore town and faunistic surveys in the forests of fluctuates between 45°C in summer and its vicinity). The present study area Anantapur District, especially in Nigidi and 25°C in winter. The rock boulders is far away from earlier locations and reserved forests of Andhra Pradesh, the are surrounded by an endemic and is relatively arid. Most sightings were authors could locate and photograph endangered plant species Hildegardia during the day. spectacular specimens of yellow- populifolia. The main trees in the study colored . After a thorough perusal area are Acacia catechu, Anogeissus DISTRIBUTION of literature (Smith 1935; Murthy 1990 latifolia, Chloroxylon swietenia, Ficus & 2010; Sanyal et al. 1993; Daniel 2002; mollis, Gardenia resinifera, Gyrocarpus Endemic to India (Andhra Das 2002; Sharma 2005; Javed et al. americanus and Lannea coromandeliana. Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Tamil 2007; Sreekar et al. 2010) the species The rock boulders are partially covered Nadu). From Andhra Pradesh it is known was identified as Calodactylodes aureus by climbers like Combretum albidum, from Chittoor, East Godavari, Nellore, (Indian Golden Gecko) and revealed Grewia rhamnifolia, Secamone emetic, Khammam, Visakhapatnam districts, that this species has not been reported etc. present study reports it from Anantapur from Anantapur District. Ten individuals District from Batrepalle Reserve Forest (Fig. 1), including three females and The Indian Golden Gecko was and Kalasamudram Reserve Forest. seven males, were seen under huge first reported by Beddome (1870) from rock boulders in three locations 5 to 7 Tripatty Hills in North Arcot District. The The Golden Gecko is listed km apart in the study area. No samples type locality is quite ambiguous. The in Schedule I (Part II) of the Indian were collected during the present study. Tripatty Hills correspond to Tiruppatur Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. In Through this note, we report the range (Tirupattur or Tiruppatur) which is in Perantalapalle (Khammam District) and extension of the Indian Golden Gecko North Arcot District of Tamil Nadu. Maredumilli (East Godavari District) of in Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh Smith (1935) observed all the labeled Andhra Pradesh the populations are REPTILE RAP #15, January 2013 Golden Gecko Calodactylodes aureus road. All the locations are nearly 15km (Beddome, 1870) in Papikonda Hills, away from Uranium mining site at Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh, India. Zoos’ Thummalapalle in Kadapa District. Print Journal 22(6): 2727-2729. Keeping all the above threats in mind, Molur, S. & S. Walker (1998). Report of the there is an urgent need to conserve this workshop “Conservation Assessment and endemic species in Anantapur District Management Plan for of India”. by local people, government and non- Zoo Outreach Organization & Conservation governmental agencies. Breeding Specialist Group, Coimbatore, India, 175 pp. Murthy, T.S.N. (1990). A field book of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS lizards of India- Records of Zoological Survey The authors are grateful to of India. Occasional Paper 115: 1-122. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai Murthy, T.S.N. (2010). The Reptile fauna of for financial support and local people for India. B.R. Publishing Corporation, New their help in field expeditions. Delhi. 332pp Pattnaik, C., S.N. Prasad & C.S. Reddy REFERENCES (2009). Need for conservation of common and viable along streams biodiversity in Araku Valley, Andhra Bauer, A.M. & I. Das (2001). A review of the (Javed et al. 2007; Sreekar et al. 2010). Pradesh. Current Science 96(1): 11-12. Gekkonid genus Calodactylodes (Reptilia: Rajasekhar, M. & N.V. Nanda Kumar (2007). In Anantagiri (Visakhapatnam District), ) from India and Sri Lanka. A new finding on the occurrence of Golden the populations are under threat due to Journal of South Asian Natural History 5(1): Gecko (Calodactylodes aureus) in the rock human encroachment and conversion of 25-35. boulders near Vellore Town. The Bioscan streams and forests into cultivated lands Beddome, R.H. (1870). Descriptions of some 2(1): 61-62. and also due to proposed bauxite mining new lizards from the Madras Presidency. Sanyal, D.P., B. Dattagupta & N.C. Gayen activity (Javed et al. 2007; Sreekar et al. Madras Monthly Journal of Medical Science (1993). Reptilia, pp. 1-63. In: Ghosh, A.K. 2010). In Odisha, buaxite mining has 1: 30-35. (Reprint in Journal of the Bombay (ed.). Fauna of Andhra Pradesh. Part- I. been reported as a threat to this species Natural History Society 59: 430-436). Reptilia, Amphibia and Fishes. Zoological (Pattnaik et al. 2009). The trade was Daniel, J.C. (2002). The Book of Indian Reptiles Survey of India, Calcutta. considered to be a major threat to this and Amphibians. Bombay Natural History Sharma, R.C. (2005). The fauna of India and endangered gecko (Molur & Walker Society, Mumbai, 238pp the adjacent countries- Reptilia (Sauria). 1998). Daniel, J.C., B. Bhushan & A.G. Sekar Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. 196pp (1986). Rediscovery of the Golden Gecko Smith, M.A. (1935). Fauna of British India The interferences of human Calodactylodes aureus (Beddome) in the including Ceylone and Burma. Reptilia Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. Journal and Amphibia. Vol. 2. Sauria. interactions can create pressure as Today and of the Bombay Natural History Society 83: Tomorrow’s Printers & Publishers, New most of the gecko habitats are outside 15-16. Delhi. 440 pp protected areas. The population in Das, I. (2002). A photographic guide to Snakes Sreekar, R., C. Srinivasulu, M. Anantapur District is under threat due and other Reptiles of India. Om Books Seetharamaraju & C. Aditya to illicit tree felling. Widening of Kadiri- International, New Delhi. 144pp Srinivasulu (2010). Selection of egg Pulivendula road, usage of chemical Dutta, S.K., B. Mohanty & P.P. Mohapatra attachment sites by the Indian Golden fertilizers, spraying of pesticides and (2005). Niyamgiri unraveled. Sanctuary Gecko Calodactylodes aureus (Beddome, insecticides are also major threats to the Asia Magazine. October: 56-59. 1870) (Reptilia: ) in Andhra species, because one of the locations Javed, S.M.M., Archana Waran & Farida Pradesh, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa is very near to cultivated fields and Tampal (2007). On the occurrence of 2(11): 1268-1272.