Goniurosaurus wuzhengjuni sp. nov. is from the karst region of northern Guanxi, China.
Researchers in China have discovered a new species of gecko from the Goniurosaurus genus. The lizard, Goniurosaurus wuzhengjuni was collected during field surveys in 2025 in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China. The rock-dwelling lizard is known to feed on a diverse selection of small invertebrate prey items that come out at night.
The gecko features a head, body and limbs that are orange and brown in coloration on its dorsum with dense and irregular black blotches. Its tail has white and black striped patterns and its irises are orange. It is a unique species in the G. lichtenfelderi group in that it has a more slender body and limbs and a larger number of sub digital lamellae under its first fingers. It also features a broader black band anterior or posterior and three pale-yellow body bands. It has a snout to vent length of 9.2 to 10.9 cm, or 3.6 yo 4.2 inches in length. With the tail, the lizard measures between 14-19cm or 5.5 to 7.5 inches in length. This puts it into similar size ranges as other cave geckos.
Photograph of Goniurosaurus wuzhengjuni sp. nov. from Guangxi, China in live. A. Adult male (Holotype, GXNU2025101603); B. Adult female (Paratype, GXNU2025090812); C. Adult female (Paratype, GXNU2025101601); D. Adult female (Paratype, GXNU2025101602). (Photos by Zening Chen and Hanzhang Cai).
Location
Goniurosaurus wuzhengjuni sp. nov. is from the karst region of northern Guanxi, China. It was found at elevations ranging from 280 to 351 meters above sea level in areas that feature dense arborous vegetation. It is a nocturnal species and was found often on limestone surfaces near roadside slopes. It was also found around limestone accumulations at cave entrances.
The complete paper describing the new species, “A new species of Goniurosaurus (Sauria, Gekkota, Eublepharidae) from Guangxi, China,” can be read on the Zoosystematics and Evolution website.
