Vincent Van Gogh Just Had A New Gecko Species Named After Him

Image via Akshay Khandekar / ZooKeys / EurekAlert (CC-BY 4.0)

Vincent van Gogh’s swirling brushstrokes may be instantly recognizable today, but it’s a known, unfortunate, fact that his genius was largely unrecognized during his lifetime. Now, a new tribute—by Mother Nature, no less—has crawled out from the slopes of the Southern Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu.

Researchers at the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation are starry-eyed at the discovery of a previously unknown gecko species with an almost celestial paint job. They’ve named it the Cnemaspis vangoghi, paying delightful homage to the Dutch Post-Impressionist master.

The back of this tiny lizard that’s emerged from India is a canvas of deep blue, dotted with light spots, mirroring the swirling night sky immortalized in Vincent van Gogh’s 1889 The Starry Night. The males even sport a bright yellow head and forebody, adding a pop of color to their otherworldly ensemble.

Image via Akshay Khandekar / ZooKeys / EurekAlert (CC-BY 4.0)

Genetic analysis confirmed Cnemaspis vangoghi as a distinct species, joining the over 1,500 gecko varieties known worldwide.

These little stargazers, measuring a mere one to two inches, make their home among the rocks, occasionally venturing out to explore buildings and trees.  

The discovery, documented in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys, happened during an expedition to Tamil Nadu, a biodiversity hotspot in India. “Cnemaspis vangoghi is named for Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) as the striking coloration of the new species is reminiscent of one of his most iconic paintings, The Starry Night,” highlights co-author Ishan Agarwal.

Image via Akshay Khandekar / ZooKeys / EurekAlert (CC-BY 4.0)

Image via Museum of Modern Art / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

While their dining habits remain a mystery, other geckos are known to enjoy crickets, worms, and even tropical fruits, Popular Science notes.

Agarwal, a dedicated researcher, even shared a battle scar—over 500 tick bites from the expedition! But with the potential to discover over 50 new lizard species in Tamil Nadu, a few itchy bumps seem a small price to pay for unearthing such starry-eyed wonders.

“Tamil Nadu is an exceptionally biodiverse state and we expect to name well over 50 new species of lizards by the time we are done [with our expeditions],” Agarwal elaborates.

[via Hyperallergic and Popular Science, images via various sources]