Mesalina bishnoi

Mesalina bishnoi Latest News

A new species of lizard, Mesalina Bishnoi, has been recently discovered in Rajasthan.

About Mesalina bishnoi

• It is a new species of lizard.
• It has been discovered near Gajner in Bikaner district, Rajasthan.
• The species was found in an arid landscape consisting of hard, rocky soil with sparse desert vegetation.  
• It marks the first confirmed record of the genus Mesalina in India.
  • The genus Mesalina comprises small, fast-moving, diurnal lizards adapted to arid and semi-arid landscapes. 
  • Although a historical reference by British zoologist Malcolm A Smith in 1935 mentioned the presence of Mesalina watsonana in Jaisalmer, no specimen-based evidence existed to confirm the genus’s occurrence in India. 
• Mesalina bishnoi is named in recognition of the Bishnoi community’s enduring commitment to wildlife and nature conservation.
• The lizard is a small-bodied species with a snout-vent length of 39.2 mm.
• It displays a greyish to olive-brown colouration, marked by a pair of dorsolateral stripes extending from the neck towards the tail.
• Distinctive black markings occur behind the eyes, while the body bears irregular dark blotches interspersed with white spots, giving it a mottled appearance.
• The underside is pale grey to offwhite.
• At present, Mesalina bishnoi is known only from its type locality in the Bikaner district and is considered endemic to the Thar biogeographic province.

Source: TOI

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