23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
The Floating Gecko

I achieved a spectacular, surreal portrait of the rare Cnemaspis Girii gecko, a tiny marvel of the Western Ghats—an ancient mountain range I recognize as being geologically much older than the Himalayas. This species has uniquely adapted to the perpetually wet environment by evolving the ability to float and swim across small streams for survival.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: Satara, India
Camera: Canon EOS R5m2
Copyright: © Indranil Basu Mallick