Auckland green gecko

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Auckland green gecko
Auckland Green Gecko at Kiwi Birdlife Park.jpg
Status NZTCS GD.svg
Gradual Decline (NZ TCS) [1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Infraorder: Gekkota
Family: Diplodactylidae
Genus: Naultinus
Species:
N. elegans
Binomial name
Naultinus elegans
Gray, 1842
Naultinus elegans - map.svg
Distribution of the Auckland green gecko on the North Island map
  Known native range
Synonyms
  • Gymnodactylus elegans
  • Hoplodactylus elegans
  • Naultinus elegans elegans
  • Naultinus sulphureus

The Auckland green gecko (Naultinus elegans), also known as the elegant gecko, [3] is a species of gecko found only in the northern half of the North Island of New Zealand, except north of Whangaroa.

Contents

Taxonomy

The species was described by John Edward Gray in 1842. [4] In 1872, Frederick Hutton described the Nelson green gecko as a subspecies, Naultinus elegans stellatus, [5] which was elevated to species status in 1982. [6] In 1980, the Wellington green gecko was synonymised as a subspecies of Naultinus elegans, with the Auckland green gecko being referred to as Naultinus elegans elegans and the Wellington green gecko as Naultinus elegans punctatus. [7] In 2014 the species name was standardised as Naultinus punctatus. [8] The Wellington green gecko is found in the southern half of the North Island, and can hybridise with the Auckland green gecko in places where their ranges overlap.

Description

Naultinus elegans Naultinus elegans elegans by J.L. Kendrick.jpg
Naultinus elegans

Gray's original text (the type description) reads as follows:

Thumbs clawed: green, rather paler beneath; streak along the under lip, the ears, two arched stripes on the top of the head, irregular shaped spots on each side of the back and hind legs, interrupted streak along each side of the body and tail, white, with a narrow black edge, with a cross series of 3 compressed larger scales at the base of the tail. [4]

The species can grow up to 75 mm (3.0 in) in length, and is recognisable by its bright green colouration. [3]

Apart from range, the Auckland green gecko differs from the Wellington green gecko in that it is marginally smaller and more slender in build and also the undersurfaces of the feet and toes in elegans are coloured grey green, while they are yellow in colouration in the latter species.

Distribution and habitat

The species is found in the upper half of the North Island, except north of Whangaroa, as well as four of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. [3]

Conservation status

In 2012 the Department of Conservation classified the Auckland green gecko as At Risk under the New Zealand Threat Classification System. It was judged as meeting the criteria for At Risk threat status as a result of it having a low to high ongoing or predicted decline. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Hoplodactylus</i> Genus of lizards

Hoplodactylus is a genus of geckos in the family Diplodactylidae. The genus is endemic to New Zealand, one of the seven genera of geckos found only in New Zealand. Hoplodactylus comprises two species of large to gigantic brownish lizards.

<i>Naultinus</i> Genus of lizards

Naultinus is a genus of geckos that are endemic to New Zealand. On account of their striking colouration, species in the genus Naultinus are commonly known as green geckos. There are nine described species in the genus. Species in the genus share a number of traits that set them apart as quite different from the rest of the world's two thousand odd gecko species, which are generally brown in colour, ovivaparous, short-lived and nocturnal. In contrast, Naultinus are green, ovovivaparous, live up to 30 years or more and are strictly diurnal. New Zealand has a temperate, maritime climate, and in terms of distribution Naultinus is one of the southernmost gecko genera in the world — some species live in habitats in the South Island which receive regular snowfall in winter. Animals in this genus possess several physiological and behavioural adaptations to cope with these periods of low temperatures and adverse weather.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northland green gecko</span> Species of lizard

The Northland green gecko, also known commonly as Gray's tree gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is found only in the Northland region of New Zealand, north of Whangaroa, and is one of the rarest and most highly sought after lizards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duvaucel's gecko</span> Species of reptile

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellington green gecko</span> Species of lizard

The Wellington green gecko is a species of gecko found only in the southern half of the North Island of New Zealand. It was previously considered a subspecies of the Auckland green gecko, and together called the common green gecko.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand striped skink</span> Species of lizard

The New Zealand striped skink is a rare species of medium-sized skink endemic to New Zealand. Found in the North Island, Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island, the species is primarily arboreal, living in dense native tree canopies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rough gecko</span> Species of lizard

The rough gecko is a species of gecko in the family Gekkonidae native to New Zealand. It is endemic to the Kaikōura Ranges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewelled gecko</span> Species of lizard endemic to New Zealand

The jewelled gecko is a threatened species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlborough green gecko</span> Species of lizard

The Marlborough green gecko, also known as the manuka gecko, is a small species of gecko endemic to New Zealand. It grows to a maximum of 70mm, and is green, with some individuals displaying gold markings. The underside of the gecko is a lighter green in females, and silvery in males. The holotype is in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelson green gecko</span> Species of lizard

The Nelson green gecko or starred gecko is a species of the family Gekkonidae (gecko). The neotype is in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Coast green gecko</span> Species of lizard

The West Coast green gecko is a species of the family Gekkonidae (gecko).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest gecko</span> Species of lizard

The forest gecko is a species of gecko that is endemic to New Zealand. Its Māori name is moko pirirākau. It is found in all parts of the country except the Far North and Canterbury. It is a protected species under the Wildlife Act 1953.

<i>Woodworthia maculata</i> Species of lizard

Woodworthia maculata, also known as the New Zealand common gecko or Raukawa gecko, is a species in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to New Zealand.

<i>Dactylocnemis</i> Genus of lizards

Dactylocnemis pacificus, the Pacific gecko or Pacific sticky-toed gecko, is a species in the family Gekkonidae, endemic to the North Island and offshore islands of New Zealand. D. pacificus is the only described species in the genus Dactylocnemis, but five offshore island forms may represent new species, one of which is the Mokohinau gecko.

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The Tākitimu gecko is an endemic species of gecko in the family Diplodactylidae found in the Southland region of New Zealand. Tākitimu gecko were first described by Jewell and Leschen in 2004 as Hoplodactylus cryptozoicus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ornate skink</span> Species of lizard

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aupouri green gecko</span> Species of reptile

The Aupōuri green gecko, also known as the North Cape green gecko or yellow-lipped green gecko, is a species of gecko in the family Diplodactylidae. While the existence of the species was known for many years, it was undescribed until early 2021, with its scientific name being Naultinus 'North Cape' prior to description as N. flavirictus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korowai gecko</span> Species of lizard

The korowai gecko, also known as the Muriwai gecko, is a gecko found on the west coast of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. First discovered on Oaia Island in 1954, the species was recognised as distinct from Woodworthia maculata in 2016, and was formally described in 2023. Only 32 individuals are known to exist as of 2023, all within a very restricted range, on Te Korowai-o-Te-Tonga Peninsula, Muriwai Beach, Muriwai Regional Park and Oaia Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mokohinau gecko</span> Species of lizard

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References

  1. 1 2 Hitchmough, Rod; Anderson, Peter; Barr, Ben; Monks, Jo; Lettink, Marieke; Reardon, James; Tocher, Mandy; Whitaker, Tony. "Conservation status of New Zealand reptiles, 2012" (PDF). Department of Conservation. The Government of New Zealand. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 van Winkel, Dylan; Baling, Marleen; Hitchmough, Rod (2018). Reptiles and Amphibians of New Zealand (1st ed.). Auckland: Auckland University Press. pp. 54–55. ISBN   978-1-86940-937-1. OL   40449345M. Wikidata   Q76013985.
  4. 1 2 "Description of two hitherto unrecorded species of reptiles from New Zealand; presented to the British Museum by Dr. Dieffenbach". The zoological miscellany. 2. London: Treuttel, Würtz & Co.
  5. Hutton, F.W. (1872). "Notes on the Lizards of New Zealand, with Descriptions of Two New Species". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 4: 167–172. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q130305243.
  6. Thomas, B.W. (1982). "A review of the herpetofauna of southern New Zealand with some taxonomic considerations". Herpetofauna. 14: 22−34.
  7. Robb, J.; Hitchmough, R. A. (1979). "Review of the Genus Naultinus Gray (Reptilia: Gekkonidae)". Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum . 16: 189–200. ISSN   0067-0464. JSTOR   42906281. Wikidata   Q58677118.
  8. Bell, Trent (2014). "Standardized common names for New Zealand reptiles". BioGecko. 2: 8–11.