Timor-Leste, nestled in the Wallacea biodiversity hotspot, is home to highly biodiverse ecosystems. Its pristine waters boast exceptional biodiversity, including over one-third of the world’s cetacean species. However, due to threats of deforestation, resource extraction activities and land degradation, much of the biodiversity in the country remains unexplored. 

In 2021, the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum strengthened its partnership with Conservation International and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. This research partnership focuses on greater academic collaboration and research in country’s protected forests and marine ecosystems. Preliminary biological surveys targeted remote and understudied areas, such as the isolated mountain of Mundo Perdido and Nino Konis Santana National Park (NKS), Timor-Leste’s first and largest national park. Over the five-year partnership, scientists from both countries will be engaging in exchange visits and symposia to facilitate expertise sharing.  

In 2022, the Museum’s former Curator of Herpetology, Dr Chan Kin Onn, made an exciting discovery during a biological survey in a limestone cave at NKS. Dr Chan and the team discovered a new species of bent-toed gecko, after spotting it during the day and successfully catching specimens at night. In 2023, the new species was named Cyrtodactylus santana by Dr Chan, Prof Grismer (La Sierra University), Mr Santana (Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dili, Timor-Leste), Mr Pinto (Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dili, Timor-Leste), Ms Loke (Conservation International Singapore) and Mr Conaboy (Conservation International Timor-Leste), and marked the first bent-toed gecko in Timor-Leste to be described as a species. 

This discovery highlights the vast potential for scientific discovery in Timor-Leste and underscores the urgent need for continued exploration and study of this important and threatened region. 

Research publications: 

Scratching the surface: a new species of Bent-toed gecko (Squamata, Gekkonidae, Cyrtodactylus) from Timor-Leste of the darmandvillei group marks the potential for future discoveries 

Related articles: 

Biodiversity Research in Timor Leste