List of geckos of New Zealand
Dozens of species of geckos are found in New Zealand. The number of species is unknown – as of 2021 there are 48 species in 7 genera, but more species are being studied.[1] All of them are native to New Zealand and are endemic (found in no other country). They are all in the Diplodactylidae family of geckoes, which is found in Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand.
New Zealand's geckos are highly unusual in that they are viviparous, giving birth to live young, typically twins, rather than laying eggs. Two species of rough-snouted giant geckos from New Caledonia are the only other viviparous geckos in the world. New Zealand geckos are omnivorous – their diet is primarily insectivorous in nature – flies, spiders, moths etc., but they will supplement it with fruit (i.e. from mahoe) and nectar (i.e. from flax flowers) when it is available.[2]
Geckos are often a target for wildlife smugglers.
Species
This list is incomplete.
- Dactylocnemis pacificus – Pacific gecko or Pacific sticky-toed gecko
- Hoplodactylus delcourti – Delcourt's sticky-toed gecko, Delcourt's giant gecko, or kawekaweau (presumed extinct; uncertain if a New Zealand species – see below)
- Hoplodactylus duvaucelii – Duvaucel's gecko or forest gecko
- Mokopirirakau cryptozoicus – Takitimu gecko
- Mokopirirakau "cupola" – Cupola gecko
- Mokopirirakau galaxias – hura te ao gecko
- Mokopirirakau kahutarae – black-eyed gecko
- Mokopirirakau granulatus – forest gecko
- Mokopirirakau nebulosus – cloudy gecko
- Naultinus elegans – Auckland green gecko
- Naultinus flavirictus – Aupouri green gecko
- Naultinus gemmeus – jewelled gecko
- Naultinus grayii – Northland green gecko or Gray's tree gecko
- Naultinus manukanus – Marlborough green gecko or manuka gecko
- Naultinus punctatus – Wellington green gecko
- Naultinus rudis – rough gecko
- Naultinus stellatus – Nelson green gecko or starry tree gecko
- Naultinus tuberculatus – West Coast green gecko, Lewis Pass green gecko, or warty tree gecko
- Toropuku stephensi – Stephen's Island gecko or Cook Strait striped gecko
- Toropuku inexpectatus
- Tukutuku rakiurae – harlequin gecko
- Woodworthia brunnea – Canterbury gecko
- Woodworthia chrysosiretica – gold-striped gecko, gold-stripe gecko, or golden sticky-toed gecko
- Woodworthia maculata – New Zealand common gecko or Raukawa gecko
New species
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, Hoplodactylus maculatus.[3] A number of alpine species in the genus Hoplodactylus have emerged from high altitude discoveries in the South Island including the Takitimu gecko, Hoplodactylus cryptozoicus.
Hoplodactylus delcourti, or Delcourt's giant gecko, is a very large extinct gecko that is known from a single, partial specimen of unknown origin in a museum in France. It is presumed to have come from either New Zealand or New Caledonia, and it has been suggested it is the kawekaweau (a large reptile) of Māori lore.[3] However, the absence of anything resembling H. delcourti from the New Zealand herpetofaunal fossil record casts doubt on whether it is a New Zealand species.[4]
References
- Hitchmough, R.; Barr, B.; Knox, C.; Lettink, M.; Monks, J. M.; Patterson, G. B.; Reardon, J. T.; van Winkel, D.; Rolfe, J.; Michel, P. (2021). Conservation Status of New Zealand Reptiles, 2021 (PDF). New Zealand Threat Classification Series. Vol. 35. Department of Conservation. pp. 3–6. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- Brian Gill and Tony Whitaker (1996). New Zealand frogs and reptiles. David Bateman Ltd.
- 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
- Worthy, Trevor H. (2016). "A Review of the Fossil Record of New Zealand Lizards". New Zealand Lizards. Springer. pp. 65–86. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-41674-8_3. ISBN 978-3-319-41672-4.
Further reading
- New Zealand Geckos; A guide to captive maintenance and breeding, RPV Rowlands, Ecoprint, 1999