Surat: Did a gecko named after Jackie Chan ever visit your home? Have you ever spotted a turtle from the ‘Chitra’ genus or measured your finger against the second-smallest gecko species of India, which is named after Goa?These fascinating details about 1,047 reptile groups (taxa) have been studied by a herpetologist from Surat, Dikansh Parmar, associated with the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Museum Koenig, Bonn, Germany, and German herpetologist Peter Uetz, associated with Virginia Commonwealth University, USA, in their research titled Etymologies of Indian reptiles with an updated country checklist. Their joint study has been published by the international peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa.The study covers 1,047 reptile taxa in India that include 178 genera, 839 species and 30 subspecies, including three crocodiles, 35 turtles, 370 snakes and 431 lizard species. The researchers have carried out a comprehensive analysis of the etymologies of their names as well. Of these, 121 genera are named after Greek stems, while 37 are derived from Latin. By contrast, most species epithets, 304, are derived from Latin, but only 85 from Greek. Further, 226 species names are eponyms, named after people, and 215 are toponyms, named after places. The researchers found 19 genera and 34 species named after local names, as well as a few with a mythological reference or other origins.Citing previous studies, Uetz and Parmar mention in the paper, “Historically, genera are predominantly derived from Greek stems, while species more often use Latin. However, more recently, local names express an increased awareness of local languages and people, often as a sign of overcoming the colonial history of the country.”“We started our study to find what is hidden inside a reptile’s scientific name?” Parmar says. “Scientific names can appear complicated to non-specialists, but many have surprisingly simple and fascinating meanings.”According to the study, the turtle genus ‘Chitra’ comes from the Sanskrit word ‘chitra’, meaning colourful, referring to the colourful pattern on the turtle’s body. ‘Batagur Kachuga’ derives its name from the Hindi word ‘kachua’, meaning turtle. The cobra genus ‘Naja’ derives its name from the Sinhala word ‘Naya’, meaning cobra.Modern popular culture has also found its way into reptile scientific names. A gecko named ‘Cnemaspis jackieii’, commonly known as ‘Jackie’s day gecko’, was named after world-famous actor and martial artist Jackie Chan. “The name was not chosen simply to honour a famous person. The gecko is known for its rapid and agile jumping behaviour,” the study said.The study traces the scientific names of Indian reptiles from the formal starting point of modern zoological nomenclature in 1758 through December 2025. The researchers included an updated list of reptile species newly described from India up to July 2026. “The study therefore brings together more than 260 years of the history of scientific naming of Indian reptiles, from the beginning of modern zoological nomenclature to the present day,” the researchers say.The figure of 1,047 taxa highlights India’s reptile diversity and its importance as one of the world’s major regions for reptile biodiversity. “The study goes beyond simply asking how many species occur in India. It asks a more intriguing question: What do these scientific names mean, and where did they come from?” said Uetz.Another example of geography being preserved in a scientific name is the second-smallest gecko species in India named ‘Hemiphyllodactylus goaensis’, commonly known as the ‘Goan slender gecko’. Parmar, who discovered the gecko in Goa, said, “The species name ‘goaensis’ honours its association with the state of Goa.”
