New Geckos in Cambodian Caves

B1326 words2:32News Report British AccentPublished Mar 23, 2026 · Updated Mar 25, 2026

Animals Nature Science

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#1

Scientists Discover Three New Gecko Species in Cambodia's Limestone Caves

#2

A team of researchers has discovered three new gecko species inside limestone caves in Cambodia.

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The discovery was made during a seven-year scientific research project led by Fauna and Flora, a nature conservation charity.

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These caves contain a unique ecosystem that has never been fully explored before.

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Entering a cave can be a frightening experience because it is completely dark inside.

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The first thing visitors notice is the strong smell of guano, which is bat waste.

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Some caves are home to millions of bats that hang in the darkness above.

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The walls are covered in unusual creatures such as whip scorpions, millipedes, and centipedes.

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The whole cave ecosystem feeds off guano, dead bats, and other dead animals on the ground.

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Water slowly passes through the cave walls, so visitors can hear the sound of dripping.

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Narrow passages connect large galleries, and some passages are too narrow for a human to pass through.

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Researchers have described it as an alien and mostly silent place.

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The lead researcher grew up in northern Spain and was always interested in wildlife.

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He spent every day in the mountains looking for animals when he was young.

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However, he did not know much about karst landscapes before he moved to Cambodia.

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Karst is a type of landscape where limestone rock has been shaped by water over thousands of years.

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Because each cave is isolated from the others, every cave becomes its own island of evolution.

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This is why different species have adapted to each specific cave habitat.

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"Each cave is like its own laboratory of evolution, and we are only beginning to understand the biodiversity inside them."

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He also noted that the species discovery highlights the importance of protecting these cave habitats.

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Scientists believe that many more species are waiting to be found in Cambodia's unexplored limestone caves.

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This research has been published and has attracted attention from the global scientific community.