Once known from only two sites in Brazil’s rocky Cerrado highlands, Vellozia sessilis is now helping show how fieldwork and citizen science can protect microendemic plants.

A new gecko species, Paragehyra tsaranoro, has been discovered in Madagascar's Tsaranoro valley. As a microendemic species, it is restricted to only three small forest fragments in the region. This sm...

ANTANANARIVO — An international team of biologists has identified a new species of gecko in small forest remnants of southeastern Madagascar. Named Paragehyra tsaranoro, the lizard is microendemic to ...

ANTANANARIVO — An international team of biologists has identified a new species of gecko in small forest remnants of southeastern Madagascar. Named Paragehyra tsaranoro, the lizard is microendemic to ...

A multidisciplinary hunt uncovers new populations of an endemic plant, while exposing the fragile balance that keeps it from disappearing.

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ANTANANARIVO — An international team of biologists has identified a new species of gecko in small forest remnants of southeastern Madagascar. Named Paragehyra tsaranoro, the lizard is microendemic to…

YouTube video by Carlton Carnivores

A first look at Argentina’s Somuncurá Plateau reveals features somewhat predictable for a Patagonian steppe: shrubs, grass, plains, and rocky outcrops. Only the occasional volcanic peak breaks the mon...

A first look at Argentina’s Somuncurá Plateau reveals features somewhat predictable for a Patagonian steppe: shrubs, grass, plains, and rocky outcrops. Only the occasional volcanic peak breaks the mon...

Brazilian Yellow-toothed Cavy from Alto Paraíso de Goiás - State of Goiás, 73770-000, Brazil on 24 January, 2012 at 07:10 AM by Alex Lees

Historically, herpetological research in Madagascar has largely overlooked small forest fragments outside the country protected area network. Despite substantial declines in species diversity compared to large continuous forests, these fragments continue to sustain diverse herpetological communities and frequently harbour microendemic species. We describe a new gecko belonging to the genus Paragehyra, apparently microendemic to small and isolated forest fragments surrounding the Andringitra Massif in south-eastern Madagascar. Paragehyra tsaranoro sp. nov. is different from its congeneric species based on genetic distances in mitochondrial markers (16S and COI), phylogenetic position, and the lack of haplotype sharing at one nuclear locus (POMC). The new species is also distinguishable from its congeners based on a combination of 14 morphological characters. New genetic and morphological data are also provided for the sympatric P. felicitae and we propose a new assessment of its conservation status within the IUCN Red List. Paragehyra tsaranoro sp. nov. and P. felicitae are mostly found in forest fragments managed by local communities (community-managed reserves) outside legally protected areas. This study highlights the importance of community-based management for the conservation of local herpetofauna, particularly in regions heavily impacted by anthropogenic pressure and largely unsuitable for forest-dwelling species. The findings emphasise the importance of conducting research on small forest fragments, as they are essential for completing the inventory of Malagasy herpetofauna.