| Cnemaspis kivulegedarai | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Cnemaspis |
| Species: | C. kivulegedarai |
| Binomial name | |
| Cnemaspis kivulegedarai Silva, Bauer , Botejue, Ukuwela, Gabadage, Gorin, Poyarkov, Surasinghe & Karunarathna, 2019 | |
Cnemaspis kivulegedarai, or Kivulegedaras' day gecko, is a species of diurnal gecko endemic to island of Sri Lanka. [1]
The specific name kivulegedarai is named in honor of Sri Lankan warrior Kivulegedara Mohottala, who is a national hero fought in the Great Rebellion of 1817–1818 occurred in Uva-Wellassa against British rule. It was the third Kandyan War led by Keppetipola Disawe. [2] [3] [4]
The species was discovered from area lies between 500–750 meters above sea level of Keerthibandarapura area. [5] Individuals are restricted to rock outcrops and granite caves in forested areas. It is sympatric with Gehyra mutilata , Hemidactylus depressus , H. frenatus and H. parvimaculatus. Researchers identified the species is Critically Endangered due to low numbers and density only recorded from four locations. [1]
An adult male is 28.5 mm long. Dorsum homogeneous with smooth granular scales. Chin with smooth granules whereas gular, pectoral and abdominal scales are smooth. There are 19 belly scales across mid body. Tubercles on posterior flank are weakly developed. Para vertebral granules linearly arranged. Body short and slender. Head large and depressed. Snout relatively long. Pupil round. Head, body and limbs are orange-brown dorsally. There are five faded, irregular brown on trunk with seven to eight cream vertebral blotches. There is an oblique black line between eye and nostrils. Tail grey-brown with 9–11 irregular W-shaped faded brown cross-bands. [1]
Several Sri Lankan media as well many parliamentarians criticized the usage of popular people's name for specific name. [6] The argument was largely due to unknowing about binomial nomenclature in zoological taxonomy among people. [7] They indicated that the usage of heroes' names gives by equating the national heroes to geckos. [5] However, researchers neglect that sentence and explained that the name is given only to honor the personality. [8]
Great Rebellion of 1817–1818, also known as the 1818 Uva–Wellassa Rebellion , was the third Kandyan War in the Uva and Wellassa provinces of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which is today the Uva province of Sri Lanka. The rebellion started against the British colonial government under Governor Robert Brownrigg, three years after the Kandyan Convention ceded Kingdom of Kandy to the British Crown.
The Kandyan day gecko or Kandyan rock gecko is a species of diurnal gecko found in Sri Lanka.
Hemidactylus triedrus, also known as the termite hill gecko, Dakota's leaf-toed gecko, or blotched house gecko, is a species of gecko found in South Asia. The race lankae of Sri Lanka, is now given species status and known as Hemidactylus lankae
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The Kandyan period covers the history of Sri Lanka from 1597–1815. After the fall of the Kingdom of Kotte, the Kandyan Kingdom was the last Independent monarchy of Sri Lanka. The Kingdom played a major role throughout the history of Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1476. The kingdom located in the central part of Sri Lanka managed to remain independent from both the Portuguese and Dutch rule who controlled coastal parts of Sri Lanka; however, it was colonised by the British in 1815.
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