Researchers name gecko after Tejas Thackeray

Tejas Thackeray-the youngest cub from the Thackeray family who is known for his keen interest in wildlife now has a gecko named after him.

The researchers who discovered two species of geckos from Yercaud in Shevaroy massif, Tamil Nadu have named one species- Cnemaspis thackerayi sp. nov commonly known as the 'Thackeray's dwarf gecko' after Tejas, who not only thanked the researchers but also called it 'making a childhood dream come alive' in a social media post where he also thanked the Tamil Nadu forest department for allowing him to collect and study some of these gecko species.

The findings by the team that included Akshay Khandekar, Nikhil Gaitonde and Ishan Agarwal was published in Zootaxa - a globally renowned peer-reviewed journal. Both the species belong to the genus Cnemaspis, commonly known as Day or Dwarf geckos are endemic to the town of Yercaud in the Shevaroy massif in the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu.

"We have named this beautiful gecko after our good friend, Tejas Thackeray in recognition of his contributions to natural history and systematic zoology and his constant encouragement and support to us to do taxonomy," said Akshay Khandekar from National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru.

The youngest son of Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray along with a group of researchers had earlier discovered 11 species of crabs from the Western Ghats and is known for his dedication towards conservation amongst the wildlife circle.

Several researchers and experts who have worked and interacted with Tejas have high regards for the efforts puts in and his down to earth attitude.