Rare Bent-toed Gecko recorded at Ukhrul

Mungchan Zimik
UKHRUL, Mar 15 : In a chance encounter, a rare bent-toed Gecko was sighted, captured and then released into the wild at the Tuira farmland in Hunphun village recently.
The rare dark brown and purple colour bent-toed gecko, Cyrtodactylus, was sighted by one Ramshim Zimik of Viewland, Ukhrul at a rivulet at Tuira farmland on January 31.
While working in the thickly forested area, a strange noise triggered his curiosity and subsequently he found the gecko taking shelter in a decayed wood. Fascinated by the unique look of the gecko, he captured it.
Ramshim fed the gecko with insects for some time, but he changed his mind later.
Thinking it must be a sin to keep the animal inside the cage, he released it into the wilderness of the Tuira farmland.
He later learned about the rare gecko.
Ramshim said the gecko was about 100 grams in weight and was roughly 25 cm in length with sticky toes pads.
In the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the bent-toed gecko is classified as a threatened species.
A species of the bent-toed gecko was discovered near Lamdan Kabui village in Manipur in 2024.
The body of a bent-toed gecko is often covered with dark bands or blotches that help them blend into tree bark, rocks, or forest foliage.
They are active at night hours. They thrive in moist, cool, or shaded forest environments, often near streams, said Dr Ersilia Jajo, Department of Zoology, Pettigrew College.
The encounter in Ukhrul district could help document and investigate the species' distribution and conservation status, Dr Jajo said.
Ukhrul district in Manipur comes under the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot region. The anecdotal encounter of the gecko in this part of Ukhrul should encourage researchers to study and document the species, said Dr Ht Decemson, of the Department of Zoology, Don Bosco College, Maram.
Proper study and documentation of the gecko could also significantly raise awareness about the species and help conserve it, Decemson said.
Shimreisa Ragui, an elderly person from Ukhrul said the local name of the gecko is Chirang Haipho. He said the type of gecko has been sighted at the Marongkhui forest area.