Jaipur, June 3 -- A team of researchers has identified a new species of desert lizard from Rajasthan's Thar Desert, providing the first verified record of the genus Mesalina in India. The species, Mesalina bishnoi, has been named in recognition of the Bishnoi community's centuries-old efforts to protect wildlife and preserve natural ecosystems in western Rajasthan. The holotype (adult female) has a snout-vent length of about 39.2 mm, indicating a small-bodied lizard. Total hind limb length is about 25.1 mm, and tail length (partially measured) reaches over 79 mm. The discovery has been published in the latest issue of the journal Records of the Zoological Survey of India by researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). The study was led by Sumidh Ray, Dharmendra Khandal, Vivek Sharma, Anirban Das, Priyanjoli Roy, Priyadarsi Girija Sankar Sethy and Pratyush P Mohapatra. The newly discovered lizard was collected during a field survey near Gajner in Rajasthan's Bikaner district in August 2025. The study is based on one primary specimen: ZSI-R-29523 collected from Bikaner, Rajasthan. In addition, the authors compared it with several museum specimens of Mesalina watsonana (multiple ZSI-R specimens listed in Table 4), but only one new specimen represents the new species itself. Researchers noted that although a member of the Mesalina genus had been reported from Jaisalmer by British herpetologist Malcolm Smith in 1935, the record lacked specimen-based evidence and remained unverified for nearly a century. The new finding now provides the first scientifically confirmed presence of the genus in India. Scientists said the specimen was found to be morphologically distinct and genetically different from all known members of the Mesalina watsonana species complex, a group of desert-dwelling lizards distributed across Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and neighbouring regions. The research team conducted detailed morphological examinations and DNA analyses using mitochondrial genes. Phylogenetic studies showed that the Rajasthan specimen forms a distinct evolutionary lineage within the M watsonana complex. Genetic divergence ranged from 4% to more than 5% in the 16S gene and exceeded 9% in the cytochrome-b gene compared with its closest relatives, supporting its recognition as a separate species. The lizard possesses several unique characteristics, including 10 upper labial scales, eight lower labials, 14 femoral pores on each thigh, keeled scales on the tibia, and a distinctive arrangement of ventral and dorsal scales. The researchers named the species Mesalina bishnoi to recognise the contribution of Rajasthan's Bishnoi community towards protecting wildlife and desert ecosystems. According to the study, the Bishnois have safeguarded biodiversity in the Thar Desert since the 15th century through cultural and religious practices that emphasise coexistence with nature. The naming is intended as a tribute to their environmental stewardship and role in conserving arid-zone wildlife....