Fans can go to any length to please and praise their idols. The latest instance is that of a group of herpetologists from India who have named a newly discovered gecko species as the Jackie’s day gecko (Cnemaspis jackieii), after Jackie Chan, the legendary actor and martial artist.

In a report published in sciencenews.org, it was said that this lizard is one of the 12 new gecko species found in India according to a study published in Zoological Research and are endemic to the Western Ghats.

The researchers while working at mid-elevation in the Western Ghats observed this very agile and quick gecko. Saunak Pal from the Bombay Natural History Society, talking about this particular species said: “Whenever we attempted to catch it, it would spring from one rock to the other, and crawl into the smallest of crevices to escape us.”

Also read: Goa scientists discover a new species of geckos

Reminding everyone of the fast Chan egged them to name the species after the martial artist.

The co-author of the study, Zeeshan Mirza of the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bengaluru remarked: “Naming a species in this manner helps people connect with it especially when it is a less popular class of animals like reptiles.” He has identified nearly 60 new faunal species so far. Among these is the world-famous snake Salazar’s pit viper (Trimeresurus salazar), named after a Harry Potter series character Salazar Slytherin.

Some names were coined based on unique skin patterns like the golden-crowned day gecko (C. regalis), or royal day gecko which got its regal name from the golden-yellow head of the male of this species.

By giving them catchy names based on popular persons or characters or on some novel attribute, Mirza hopes to draw attention that “will help in conserving these species as well as the landscape.”

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