New gecko species found on village walls in central Iran

Researchers have described a new thin-toed gecko from Veshnavah village in Qom Province, central Iran, adding to the known diversity of Mediodactylus and underscoring how much remains unclear in the group’s taxonomy. The species appears tied to old village walls and has only been documented at its type locality, raising questions about habitat change and the value of integrated surveys.

Why it matters: - The discovery adds a new endemic reptile lineage to Iran’s herpetofauna. - The new gecko strengthens evidence that central Iran and the Zagros still hold unrecognized diversity. - The species lives on old village walls, so rural development could affect a localized population. - The find supports integrated taxonomy that combines morphology, measurements and DNA instead of relying on a single trait.

What happened: - Researchers described Mediodactylus veshnavahensis sp. nov. from Veshnavah village in Qom Province, central Iran. - The study appeared in Asian Herpetological Research on 04 June 2026. - The paper’s DOI is 10.3724/ahr.2095-0357.2025.0063. - The type locality is about 60 kilometers southeast of Qom. - The species is known so far only from that site.

The details: - The gecko is small, with a maximum snout-vent length of 41.5 millimeters. - The species has three pairs of postmental scales, with the first pair in broad contact. - The body shows 10–12 longitudinal rows of enlarged keeled dorsal tubercles. - The ventral and gular scales are smooth. - The species lacks precloacal and femoral pores. - The dorsum has six narrow black crossbars between the limbs. - The tail has 12–14 dark crossbars. - The type series includes males, females and a subadult. - Researchers compared the new gecko with Iranian and extra-Iranian congeners using 17 morphological characters, head-shape landmarks and a 629-base-pair mitochondrial cytochrome b fragment. - The team also produced a phylogenetic placement and an identification key for Iranian Mediodactylus species. - The gecko was collected at night on thatched and cement walls in Veshnavah village. - The species has not been found in nearby natural mountain habitats. - Diagnostic differences from M. stevenandersoni include keeled subcaudal scales, 19–21 smooth subdigital lamellae under the fourth toe and 10–12 rows of enlarged dorsal tubercles. - Geometric morphometrics separated the Qom population by the arrangement and relative area of mental and postmental plates. - In the mitochondrial tree, the population forms a strongly supported subclade within the western Iranian clade. - Uncorrected pairwise Cytb divergence is at least 8.2% from other sampled Mediodactylus and more than 19% from M. stevenandersoni.

Between the lines: - The Mediodactylus group remains taxonomically unstable, with Carinatogekko sometimes treated as a separate genus and sometimes as a synonym. - Iranian thin-toed geckos are difficult to resolve because many were described from few specimens and molecular sampling is uneven. - The Qom population looks genetically distinct while remaining morphologically close to M. stevenandersoni. - The authors say DNA, scale geometry and field surveys were most useful when used together. - The find suggests old village walls can function as stable microhabitats for reptiles. - The authors say rural development is worth watching, even though no immediate conservation action is required.

What's next: - The authors recommend broader sampling across central Iran and the Zagros. - Long-term monitoring and targeted surveys in nearby settlements are warranted because the species is known only from the type locality. - Conservation planning may need to consider human-modified habitats, not only natural mountain terrain. - The study argues for broader integrated surveys rather than single-character taxonomy in Iran.

The bottom line: - A small gecko on village walls is now a new species, and its discovery shows how much hidden diversity may still remain in central Iran.