| Lepidodactylus tepukapili | |
|---|---|
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| Top view of Lepidodactylus tepukapili | |
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| Bottom view of Lepidodactylus tepukapili | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Infraorder: | Gekkota |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Lepidodactylus |
| Species: | L. tepukapili |
| Binomial name | |
| Lepidodactylus tepukapili Zug, Watling, Alefaio, Alefaio, & Ludescher, 2003 | |
Lepidodactylus tepukapili is a species of gecko, which is known as the Tuvalu forest gecko and is known in the Tuvaluan language as moko or pili. [1] It is the only recorded vertebrate that is endemic to Tuvalu. [2] [3] It has been located on Fuagea (also called Fuakea) and on Tepuka. [2] [4]
Lepidodactylus tepukapili's naming is based upon the Tuvaluan language words for "small lizard" and the island of Tepuka, where specimens were first discovered. [5]
In 2021, the IUCN published its assessment of the Tuvalu forest gecko, classifying it as Critically Endangered due to the ongoing threat of sea-level rise, as related to anthropogenic climate change. The two small low-lying islands on which it occurs average just 2 metres above sea level. IUCN Red List. [6]