Mumbai, July 23 - A new lizard species has been discovered in the Western Ghats, near Kolhapur in Maharashtra, and been appropriately named - Cnemaspis Kolhapurensis. It was discovered by scientists of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) with help from experts of Villanova University, USA, an official said Thursday.

The lizard was spotted by BNHS curator Varad B. Giri. The discovery comes close on the heels of finding two other species of lizards in the state.

The new lizard belongs to the genus Cnemaspis and are mostly small in size and have a circular pupil, Giri said. They also display many interesting characteristics. When viewed in oblique light, the tail dorsum exhibits an iridescent sheen, he said.

'They are usually found in the forests, although a few have been noticed in human habitations as well. In India, the geckos of this genus are mostly founds in the Western Ghats (Sahyadri range of mountains) and a few in the Eastern Ghats,' Giri explained.

Giri was assisted in the identification and research by a BNHS research fellow, Kshamata Gaikwad.

At 24, she is one of the youngest scientists working in the field of caecilians (amphibians) and lizards and is the first Indian woman scientist to have helped discover the new lizard species.