Northland green gecko

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Northland green gecko
GeckoOranaParkNZ gobeirne.JPG
at Orana Wildlife Park, Christchurch
Status NZTCS SP.svg
Sparse (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
Family: Diplodactylidae
Genus: Naultinus
Species:
N. grayii
Binomial name
Naultinus grayii
Bell, 1843
Synonyms [3]

The Northland green gecko (Naultinus grayii), 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; it is one of the rarest and most highly sought after lizards. [4]

Contents

Taxonomy

Naultinus grayii was originally described by Thomas Bell in 1843. [4]

Etymology

The specific name, grayii, is in honour of British herpetologist John Edward Gray. [5]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of N. grayii are freshwater wetlands, shrubland, and forest. [6]

Description

Northland green gecko head Northland green gecko head.jpg
Northland green gecko head

The Northland green gecko is vivid green with grey or gold-coloured markings on either side along the dorsal surface. Males have a blue band along the sides just below the limbs.[ citation needed ] Underneath, the ventral surface of both sexes is bright pale green, sometimes with a yellow tinge. The inside of the mouth is deep blue with a bright red tongue.[ citation needed ]

Its total length (including tail) is up to 200 mm (7.9 in),[ citation needed ] and its snout-to-vent length (SVL) is up to 95 mm (3.7 in). [6]

Behaviour

The Northland green gecko is diurnal, [6] often found sun-basking.[ citation needed ] It has an arboreal lifestyle,[ citation needed ] especially favouring stands of manuka, kanuka, [6] and mingimingi.[ citation needed ]

Reproduction

N. grayii is oviparous. [3] Average litter size is two newborns. [6] Sexual maturity is reached at approximately two years, after which reproduction occurs annually. [6] The young are born in March, after a gestation period of four months. [6]

Conservation status

In 2012 the Department of Conservation classified the Northland 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. This gecko is also regarded as being "Data Poor". [1]

Captivity

The species N. grayii, like all the Naultinus species, is regarded as the "holy grail" of geckos among their keepers, often going for a large amount of money for a pair of lizards.[ citation needed ] Outside of its home range, it is most commonly kept in Europe where there are several keepers producing offspring, though still extremely rarely seen.[ citation needed ]

In 2001 a German tourist was fined $12,000 for attempting to smuggle Northland green geckos out of the country in his underwear. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<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.

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

The Auckland green gecko is a species of gecko found only in the northern half of the North Island of New Zealand, except north of Whangaroa. The Wellington green gecko, formerly considered a subspecies, is found in the southern half of the North Island. The ranges overlap in places through the central North Island and hybrids may occur. Its length is up to 145 mm, snout to vent.

<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">Black-eyed gecko</span> Species of lizard

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

The harlequin gecko, formerly Hoplodactylus rakiurae, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to Stewart Island/Rakiura in the far south of New Zealand, where it was discovered in 1969. In terms of distribution it is one of the southernmost gecko species in the world.

<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

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

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

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

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<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. Granulatus refers to the granular texture of the skin. Its Māori name is moko pirirākau. It is found in all parts of the country except the Far North, Marlborough, and Canterbury. It is a protected species under the Wildlife Act 1953.

<i>Pristurus carteri</i> Species of lizard

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<i>Oligosoma smithi</i> Species of lizard

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

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<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.

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.

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 Species Naultinus grayii at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  4. 1 2 "Featured Species". Emsworth Reptiles. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  5. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5. (Naultinus grayii, p. 107).
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hitchmough R, van Winkel D, Lettink M, Chapple D (2019). "Naultinus grayii ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T120188965A120192544.en. Accessed on 18 September 2023.
  7. "Convicted Gecko smuggler gets". New Zealand Government. 1 February 2001. Retrieved 30 June 2010.[ dead link ]

Further reading