Conservation Actions

It is known from a historical site, but not from any protected areas. Conservation of the few known caves that this species inhabits is urgently needed.

Location Information

This species is only known from Ma Thien Lanh Valley in Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh Province, southern Viet Nam (Nguyen et al. 2006). This hill has an area of 18 km2 and the species is confined to a small number of caves where it is associated with streams (N.S. Nguyen pers. comm. 2018). While it may be more widespread in low-elevation streams around the mountain, few streams are known from this area, suggesting that the species' area of occupancy will be below 10 km2 (N.S. Nguyen et al. 2018). It has been recorded from 50 to 150 m asl., and the mountain has a maximum elevation of 986 m asl. (N.S. Nguyen pers. comm. 2018).

Geographic Range

Extant

Viet Nam

Population Information

It is a very rare species, with little information available on the population trend. Four field trips in 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2017 suggest that the species may be becoming harder to find: while 10 specimens were collected during the first visit, the subsequent surveys collected two, one and four animals respectively (N.S. Nguyen pers. comm. 2018).

Threats

The site on the mountain from which this species is most often recorded is threatened by disturbance from ongoing road construction, and from an increasing number of people moving into the area. Road construction is concentrated on the slope along the rocky stream where the gecko occurs, and debris from road construction is known to have washed into the stream (N.S. Nguyen pers. comm. 2018). There is limited quarrying on the mountain, and the possible future expansion of this is not well-known. There is some tourism on the mountain, and rubbish including waste plastic has been found within and near the cave during surveys (N.S. Nguyen pers. comm. 2018), although the effects on the lizard are not clear.

IUCN Red List Account Link

Please click here to see the species' IUCN Red List Account page.