Wildbuzz | New lizzie species for Chandigarh

A fan-throated lizard of the Sitana genus was discovered in Chandigarh, marking a new biodiversity record for the UT.

Scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, made the discovery during a survey in November 2025.

The finding is featured in the WII report "Status of Wildlife in Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary and Other Forested Areas, Chandigarh, UT."

Male Sitana lizards possess expandable throat fans for display and lack a fifth toe on their hind feet, enabling bipedalling.

The presence of this Sitana genus lizard suggests an untapped diversity of cryptic and unreported species in Chandigarh.