Pit viper, flying snake and several geckos among new species found in Cambodian caves
Mar 23rd 2026 · Cambodia
A survey of limestone caves in Battambang province revealed multiple species new to science, highlighted isolated karst ecosystems, and warned that mining and tourism threaten unique biodiversity.
- A Fauna & Flora and Cambodia Ministry of Environment survey of 64 caves across 10 karst hills in Battambang from November 2023 to July 2025 uncovered multiple species new to science.
- Discoveries include a turquoise pit viper, a flying snake, several geckos, two micro-snails and two millipedes.
- The viper and three of the newly found gecko species are still being formally named and described.
- Researchers recorded one named species, Cyrtodactylus kampingpoiensis, and found four populations evolving differently on the same hill.
- Globally threatened animals including the Sunda pangolin, green peafowl, long-tailed macaque and northern pig-tailed macaque were also observed.
- Cambodia's karst covers about 20,000 square kilometers or 9 percent of the country and each cave hill acts as an isolated evolutionary island.
- Karst habitats face threats from limestone extraction for cement, overtourism, hunting, logging and wildfires, and authorities are discussing protective status for important hills.
Articles
- I discovered three new geckos in Cambodia’s limestone caves – and that’s not all we found www.theguardian.com
- Secrets of the karst: new species found in Cambodia’s limestone caves – in pictures www.theguardian.com
- Pit viper, flying snake and geckos among new species uncovered in Cambodian cave | CNN www.cnn.com