A group of biologists from the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation in the field in Tamil Nadu, India, have discovered a new species of gecko with a unique look. The male of the species is dark blue with light blue spots on its body, swirls on its head, and a slim ring of yellow around its neck. Researcher Ishan Agarwal was impressed by the coloration that reminded him of the iconic painting The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. That was in 2022. A new paper has recently been published to describe two new species of gecko, and this one was named Cnemaspis vangoghi, in honor of the painter.
The group thinks they will have identified 50 new species by the time their research is complete, but Cnemaspis vangoghi stands out because everyone recognizes Starry Night when they see it. -via Bored Panda
(Image credit: Akshay Khandekar