Scaly creature — pregnant with 2 eggs — found in suburb of China. It’s a new species
In a city suburb of southern China, a pregnant creature perched on a plant. Something about the scaly animal caught the attention of passing scientists.
It turned out to be a new species.
Researchers visited a suburb of Guilin as part of a regional wildlife survey in 2016, according to a study published May 7 in the peer-reviewed journal Animals.
During their visit, researchers found 10 unfamiliar-looking lizards, the study said. They captured the animals and brought them to a laboratory for closer examination.
Researchers soon realized they’d discovered a new species: Takydromus guilinensis, or the Guilin grass lizard.
Guilin grass lizards are considered “small,” measuring about 8 inches in length, researchers said. They have a “bright brown” back and a lighter-colored belly.
A photo shows a Guilin grass lizard perched on a leaf, with its tail almost mustard yellow.
Guilin grass lizards live in areas with “shallow vegetation not fully covering the ground and scattered rocks at the foot of the mountain,” the study said. They were often seen basking in the sun but hid in “rock crevices after being disturbed.”
Researchers found one pregnant female Guilin grass lizard, which laid two eggs while in captivity, the study said. A second pregnant lizard also laid two eggs in captivity. Two eggs, one from each mother, eventually hatched.
Researchers said they named the new species after the city where it was first discovered and, so far, the only area where it has been found. Guilin is a city in Guangxi province and a roughly 1,200-mile drive southwest of Beijing.
The new species was identified by its scale pattern, coloring, skull shape, preferred habitat and DNA, the study said.
The research team included Kun Guo, Yong-Hao Hu, Jian Chen, Jun Zhong and Xiang Ji.
This story was originally published May 16, 2024 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Scaly creature — pregnant with 2 eggs — found in suburb of China. It’s a new species."
