Scientists have discovered three new gecko species, along with two micro-snails and two millipedes, during surveys of limestone caves in western Cambodia. The team, led by a conservationist with Fauna & Flora, explored more than 60 caves across 10 hills in Battambang province between 2019 and the present.
The newly described geckos are remarkably large, measuring about 20 centimetres in length, with distinctive brown and white stripes. One species has been named “night wanderer” for its nocturnal habits, while another is noted for its powerful bite capable of drawing blood. Researchers also suspect they have found an additional three gecko species and a new pit viper, but confirmation is still pending.
Karst landscapes, formed by millennia of water erosion, create isolated “island laboratories” of evolution. Each hill and cave system supports species that cannot cross to neighbouring habitats, leading to unique evolutionary paths. According to the researchers, even a kilometre of distance can isolate populations for thousands or millions of years, making these ecosystems exceptionally vulnerable.
The team conducted most surveys at night, when the animals are most active, often working from sunset until past midnight. To formally describe new species, researchers must collect specimens and administer a lethal dose of anaesthetic – a necessary but regrettable step to ensure the creatures are documented before they potentially disappear.
Conservationists warn that these limestone hills are under imminent threat from the cement industry, as the rock is a key ingredient in concrete. Most karst formations are unprotected, and wiping out a single hill could drive entire species to extinction. “These creatures exist nowhere else on the planet,” the team stressed, urging that the unique evolutionary laboratories be preserved.
