Renowned wildlife researcher and herpetologist Varad Giri, herpetologist R Chaitanya and their team have discovered six new species of geckos in the Western Ghats. A scientific paper regarding the same was published in the renowned international taxonomic journal, Zootaxa recently.

The Western Ghats are home to a remarkable diversity in floral and faunal groups that exhibit a high degree of endemism in this biodiversity hotspot. Dr Giri said, "The only endemic gecko genus in the Western Ghats is the Dravidogecko. They are distributed from Wayanad district in the north up to Tirunelveli district in the south. Until recently, only one species (Dravidogecko Anamallensis that was described in 1875 by zoologist Albert Günther) was recognised under this genus perceived to be widespread across the Western Ghats."