New Gecko Species Found In Andhra-Odisha

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Consider the followings statements about Geckos:

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A gecko found in Vizag in 2017, then thought to belong to a known species, has now been identified as a member of a new species.
Researchers had initially identified the specimen as an East Indian Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis hardwickii).
But, now a phylogenetic study and morphological comparisons have distinguished it as a new species, which appears to be common in the forests of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
The species is called Eublepharis pictus, also known as the Painted Leopard Gecko. Geographically the two species appear to be separated by the Brahmani River.

Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica.
Geckos are found in many habitats from rainforests, to deserts, to cold mountain slopes.
Most geckos are nocturnal, which means they are active at night, but day geckos are active during the day and depend on insects, fruits, and flower nectar.
Geckos are spread across six families: Carphodactylidae, Diplodactylidae, Eublepharidae, Gekkonidae, Phyllodactylidae, and Sphaerodactylidae.
All geckos, except species in the family Eublepharidae lack eyelids.

Eublepharis is a small genus in the lizard family Eublepharidae, which contains 44 species in six genera distributed in parts of North and Central America, West and East Africa, Middle East, South Asia and the Malayan Archipelago.
Eublepharis was first described in 1827, the genus is currently represented by 7 species out of which 5 are known from India.
The newly-discovered species, Eublepharis pictus, occurs in the Indian states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
It measures 11.7 cm in length and prefers dry evergreen forests mixed with scrub and meadows. Eublepharis pictus is strictly nocturnal and has been observed actively foraging along trails in the forest after dusk. While foraging, the species has been observed licking surfaces as it moves, likely the tongue is used as a sensory organ.

According to researchers, Eublepharis pictus occurs outside protected areas.
Most leopard geckos are killed when encountered and awareness about the species being harmless would be beneficial for the species.
Based on IUCN conservation prioritization criteria the researchers have proposed to list Eublepharis pictus and Eublepharis hardwickii as Near Threatened. Researchers say, this species is collected for the pet trade and even now may be smuggled illegally.