''Cnemaspis psychedelica'', also known as the psychedelic rock gecko, is an

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

species of

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...

, only scientifically described in 2010, that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Hon Khoai Hon Khoai (also called ''Ile Independence'' or ''Paulo Obi, Pulo Ubi)'' is a small archipelago located about 14 kilometers south from Ca Mau province, Vietnam. It is considered to be the southernmost point of Vietnam. The Hon Khoai islands consist ...

Island and adjacent Hon Tuong Isle in

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

. It is up to about in

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the most c ...

, and (as suggested by its name) it is quite brightly coloured in yellow, orange, black and grey-blue. This diurnal gecko inhabits granite boulders in densely vegetated country, retreating into crevices or under the rocks if scared, locations also used for sleeping at night. Each female typically lays two white eggs that are attached above the ground to the underside of a rock ledge (in captivity, they will use various elevated surfaces, not just rocks) and several females may use the same place, forming a communal nest with up to ten eggs. Newly hatched young are quite dull, but the adult colours are already evident when two months old.

Conservation

This species has a very small range, an estimated adult population of slightly above 500 individuals (which however appears to be quite stable as of 2018) and it is considered endangered by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

, with the major threats being habitat loss from road construction, building of artificial ponds and developments for tourists (despite its range being in a protected area), predation by introduced long-tailed macaques and collection for the pet trade (despite being fully protected). In an effort to conserve it, a captive breeding project was initiated at Hon Me Station on Hon Khoai Island in 2014, supported by Cologne Zoo of Germany. Initial trials indicated that it was well-suited for a captive breeding project and the first young were hatched at the station in early 2015. Additionally, ranger equipment and posters highlighting the gecko's status have been provided to the local forest protection department.

References

Cnemaspis Reptiles described in 2010 {{Cnemaspis-stub