Jhuma's gecko: a new leopard gecko in Bihar's Kaimur hills, named for the woman who leads India's zoological survey

In the Kaimur hills of Bihar, researchers have formally described a species science did not know it had: a new leopard gecko, about 14 centimetres long, with a dark brown back crossed by two pale, spotty bands. It differs from its closest known relative in the wide gaps between the large, flat, bumpy scales on its back, in the tiny gripping ridges under its fourth toe, and in the pattern of pores near its tail — the fine print by which geckos are told apart. The team named it for Dr Dhriti Banerjee, the first woman to direct the Zoological Survey of India, known to colleagues as Jhuma, honouring her work on the country's animal diversity. The honour carries a purpose: leopard geckos are heavily sought after in the international pet trade, yet their wild populations are barely studied and face habitat loss and smuggling. A name, a description and a spotlight may be what the overlooked Kaimur Plateau needs — you cannot protect what nobody knows exists.