List of geckos of New Zealand

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Jewelled gecko (Naultinus gemmeus) Jewelled gecko BPmale.jpg
Jewelled gecko (Naultinus gemmeus)

Dozens of species of gecko are found in New Zealand. [1] The exact number is unknown; as of 2021, there are 48 described species across 7 genera, with more being studied. [2] All are native to New Zealand and are endemic (i.e., found nowhere else). All are placed in the Diplodactylidae family, which is found across Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand.

Contents

New Zealand's geckos are highly unusual in that they are viviparous, giving birth to live young, typically twins; most other geckos are oviparous (egg-layers). Two species of the New Caledonian rough-snouted giant geckos are the only other viviparous geckos in the world.

Like most gecko species, New Zealand’s geckos are omnivorous, consuming a diet that is primarily insectivorous in nature, hunting numerous flies, arachnids, lepidoptorans and gryllids (crickets). However, depending on several factors (such as the time of year, seasonal insect availability, bloom cycles of flowering plants, etc.), many geckos will supplement—or even briefly alter—their diets by consuming blossoms, fruits (i.e., from mahoe) or nectar (i.e., from flax flowers) as it becomes available. [3]

Geckos are often a target for wildlife smugglers for sale via the reptile and pet trade.

Species

As of 2024 the taxonomically described species are as follows: [2]

Gigarcanum delcourti (formerly Hoplodactylus delcourti), the largest known species of gecko, only known from a single specimen collected in the 19th century, was formerly thought to have been from New Zealand, but DNA evidence suggests that it actually originated from New Caledonia. [4]

Species yet to be taxonomically determined

The number of New Zealand gecko species is not settled, with new ones being described. Some animals with a wide range previously thought to comprise a single species actually represent multiple sub-species, as with the common gecko, Woodworthia maculata . [5] A number of alpine species have emerged from high altitude discoveries in the South Island.

As at 2021 the species or subspecies that have yet to be taxonomically determined include: [2]

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">Auckland green gecko</span> Species of lizard

The Auckland green gecko, also known as the elegant gecko, is a species of gecko found only in the northern half of the North Island of New Zealand, except north of Whangaroa.

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

The gold-striped gecko, gold-stripe gecko, or golden sticky-toed gecko is a species of gecko in the family Diplodactylidae. It is endemic to New Zealand, and is only found in the Taranaki region and Mana Island. The holotype is in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

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

The black-eyed gecko, also known commonly as Whitaker's sticky-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. An alpine gecko species, discovered in 1970, it inhabits high-altitude mountains in three areas of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the highest-altitude lizard species in New Zealand, living up to 2,200 m (7,200 ft) above sea level.

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

The Stephen's Island gecko, also known commonly as the Cook Strait striped gecko, Stephen's sticky-toed gecko, and the striped gecko, is a species of gecko in the genus Toropuku in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to New Zealand.

<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

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,(Naultinus manukanus) 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">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.

<i>Mokopirirakau</i> Cryptic Alpine Gecko Genus in New Zealand

The Mokopirirakau genus comprises alpine geckos found only in New Zealand. The name is Māori, and comes from “Moko”, referring to lizards, and “pirirakau”, which refers to forests. This is a newly recognized genus as it was previously included in the Hoplodactylus genus. Many of the species within this genus are still at candidatus status because of this, but also because of the difficulty that comes with researching these species and this genus in particular. Much of the current research about geckos in New Zealand is built off assumptions, indicating that better surveying methods are needed to come to any real conclusions about their behaviour and ecology.

<i>Woodworthia</i> Genus of lizards

Woodworthia is a genus of geckos in the family Diplodactylidae endemic to New Zealand. It includes four formally described species, though as many as 17 genetically distinct species may exist. All species are native to New Zealand.

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

The Canterbury gecko is a gecko found in the South Island of New Zealand. It is also known by the Māori names Waitaha gecko and Moko-pāpā, and as the brown gecko. It had previously been placed in a different genus and called Hoplodactylus brunneus, but further study split the genus Hoplodactylus into six genera, with some groups close to the former Hoplodactylus maculatus "Canterbury" being assigned to the new genus Woodworthia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pygopodoidea</span> Superfamily of lizards

Pygopodoidea is a gecko superfamily and the only taxon in the gekkotan subclade Pygopodomorpha. The clade includes three Australasian families: Diplodactylidae, Carphodactylidae, and Pygopodidae. Traditional gekkotan systematics had considered Diplodactylidae and Carphodactylidae as subfamilies of the family Gekkonidae, but recent molecular work have placed Pygopodidae within Gekkonidae making it paraphyletic. These analyses have shown support of Pygopodidae and Carphodactylidae being sister taxa, with Diplodactylidae occupying a basal position in Pygopodoidea.

<i>Hoplodactylus tohu</i> Species of lizard

Hoplodactylus tohu, the Tohu gecko, is a species of lizard of the family Diplodactylidae. The lizard is found in the Marlborough Sounds / Cook Strait area of New Zealand.

<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.

The Mokohinau gecko is an undescribed species of gecko found in the Mokohinau Islands, 100 km (62 mi) north of Auckland in the Auckland Region of New Zealand.

References

  1. ↑ van Winkel, Dylan; Baling, Marleen; Hitchmough, Rod (2018). Reptiles and Amphibians of New Zealand (1st ed.). Auckland: Auckland University Press. p. 1. ISBN   978-1-86940-937-1. OL   40449345M. Wikidata   Q76013985.
  2. 1 2 3 Rod Hitchmough; Ben Barr; Carey Knox; et al. (2021). Conservation status of New Zealand reptiles, 2021 (PDF). New Zealand Threat Classification Series. Vol. 35. pp. 1–23. ISBN   978-1-9911529-2-3. ISSN   2324-1713. Wikidata   Q108747299. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 July 2022.{{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  3. ↑ Brian Gill and Tony Whitaker (1996). New Zealand frogs and reptiles. David Bateman Ltd.
  4. ↑ Heinicke, Matthew P.; Nielsen, Stuart V.; Bauer, Aaron M.; Kelly, Ryan; Geneva, Anthony J.; Daza, Juan D.; Keating, Shannon E.; Gamble, Tony (2023-06-19). "Reappraising the evolutionary history of the largest known gecko, the presumably extinct Hoplodactylus delcourti, via high-throughput sequencing of archival DNA". Scientific Reports. 13 (1): 9141. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-35210-8. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   10279644 . PMID   37336900.
  5. ↑ Bauer A. M., Russell A. P. "Hoplodactylus delcourti n. sp. (Reptilia: Gekkonidae), the largest known gecko" Archived 2013-04-20 at the Wayback Machine , New Zealand Journal of Zoology (1986), Vol. 13: 141–148. doi : 10.1080/03014223.1986.10422655

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