Jewelled gecko, Naultinus gemmeus

Dozens of species of geckos are found in New Zealand.[1] The number of species is unknown – as of 2021 there are 48 species in 7 genera, but more species are being studied.[2] 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.[3]

Geckos are often a target for wildlife smugglers.

Species

As at 2021 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]

  • Hoplodactylus duvaucelii “southern” – a possible new species or subspecies currently included in Hoplodactylus duvaucelii
  • Mokopirirakau "cupola" – Cupola gecko
  • Woodworthia "Raggedy" – Raggedy Range gecko
  • Woodworthia "Southern Alps northern” – northern Southern Alps gecko
  • Woodworthia “south-western” – south-western large gecko
  • Mokopirirakau “Open Bay Islands” – Open Bay Islands gecko
  • Mokopirirakau “Okarito” – broad-cheeked gecko
  • Woodworthia aff. maculata “Muriwai” – Muriwai gecko
  • Dactylocnemis “Matapia Island” – Matapia gecko
  • Dactylocnemis “North Cape” – Te Paki gecko
  • Mokopirirakau “Cascades” – cascade gecko
  • Mokopirirakau “Roys Peak” – orange-spotted gecko
  • Mokopirirakau “southern forest” – Tautuku gecko
  • Mokopirirakau “southern North Island" – ngahere gecko
  • Woodworthia cf. brunnea Cope, 1869 – Waitaha gecko
  • Woodworthia “Central Otago” – schist gecko
  • Woodworthia “Cromwell” – Kawarau gecko
  • Woodworthia “Kaikoura” – Kaikoura gecko
  • Woodworthia “Marlborough mini” – minimac gecko
  • Woodworthia “Mount Arthur” – Kahurangi gecko
  • Woodworthia “Otago/Southland large” – korero gecko
  • Woodworthia “pygmy” – pygmy gecko
  • Woodworthia “south-western large” – south-western large gecko
  • Woodworthia “Southern Alps” – Southern Alps gecko
  • Woodworthia “southern mini” – short-toed gecko
  • Woodworthia “Southern Alps northern” – northern Southern Alps gecko
  • Dactylocnemis “Mokohinau” – Mokohinau gecko
  • Dactylocnemis “Poor Knights” – Poor Knights gecko
  • Dactylocnemis “Three Kings” – Three Kings gecko

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dylan van Winkel; Marleen Baling; Rod Hitchmough (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). Vol. 35. pp. 1–23. ISBN 978-1-9911529-2-3. ISSN 2324-1713. Wikidata Q108747299. Archived from the original (PDF) 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

Further reading

  • New Zealand Geckos; A guide to captive maintenance and breeding, RPV Rowlands, Ecoprint, 1999
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