Gekkonidae is the largest family of geckos, containing over 950 described species in 64 genera. Members of the Gekkonidae comprise many of the most widespread gecko species, including house geckos (Hemidactylus), tokay geckos (Gekko), day geckos (Phelsuma), mourning geckos (Lepidodactylus) and dtellas (Gehyra). Gekkonid geckos occur globally and are particularly species-rich in tropical areas.
Hoplodactylus is a genus of gecko 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, one extinct and one surviving only on predator-free islands.
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.
Stephens Island is at the northernmost tip of the Marlborough Sounds in the South Island of New Zealand. It lies two kilometres to the northeast of Cape Stephens, the northernmost point of D'Urville Island. The island is 1.5 square kilometres in size, and rises 283 metres (928 ft) high from the sea.
Cassia Joy Cowley is a New Zealand author best known for her children's fiction, including the popular series of books Mrs. Wishy-Washy.
Mahuika is a Māori fire deity. Generally, Mahuika is female and wife of the god Auahitūroa.
Duvaucel's gecko, Hoplodactylus duvaucelii, is a species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae.
Hoplodactylus delcourti, also commonly known as kawekaweau, Delcourt's sticky-toed gecko or Delcourt's giant gecko, is an extinct species of lizard, the largest known of all geckos, with a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 370 mm (14.6 in) and an overall length of at least 600 mm (23.6 in). The exact origin of the only known specimen is unknown. The idea that Hoplodactylus delcourti is the kawekaweau of Maori tradition has been contested.
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 and the two ranges do not overlap. Its length is up to 145 mm, snout to vent.
Maungatautari is a mountain, rural community and ecological area near Cambridge in the Waikato region in New Zealand's central North Island.
The harlequin gecko 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.
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.
The jewelled gecko is a threatened species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand.
The Diplodactylidae are a family in the suborder Gekkota (geckos), with over 150 species in 25 genera. These geckos occur in Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. Diplodactylids are the most ecologically diverse and widespread family of geckos in both Australia and New Caledonia, and are the only family of geckos found in New Zealand. Three diplodactylid genera have recently been split into multiple new genera
Gavin John Bishop is an author and illustrator, from Invercargill, New Zealand. He is known for illustrating books from prominent New Zealand authors, including Joy Cowley and Margaret Mahy. Bishop's first published picture book was Mrs McGinty and the Bizarre Plant, published in 1981 by Oxford University Press.
Gecko Press is an independent publisher of children’s books based in Wellington, New Zealand. The company was founded in 2005 by Julia Marshall, formerly of Appelberg Publishing Agency, winner of the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal 2021.
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.
Joan Robb was a New Zealand herpetologist and wildlife tour guide.
Island reserves or island sanctuaries are offshore islands of New Zealand, set aside by the New Zealand Government as reserves for endemic and native species.
