• Source: List of geckos of New Zealand

Dozens of species of gecko are found in New Zealand. The exact number is unknown; as of 2021, there are 48 described species across 7 genera, with more being studied. 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.
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.
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:

Dactylocnemis pacificus (Gray, 1842) – Pacific gecko or Pacific sticky-toed gecko
Hoplodactylus duvaucelii (Dumeril & Bibron, 1836)– Duvaucel's gecko or forest gecko. This species may represent multiple species or sub-species including the northern and the southern Duvaucel’s gecko.
Mokopirirakau cryptozoicus (Jewell & Leschen, 2004) – Tākitimu gecko
Mokopirirakau galaxias Knox et al., 2021– hura te ao gecko
Mokopirirakau kahutarae (Whitaker, 1985) – black-eyed gecko
Mokopirirakau granulatus (Gray, 1845) – forest gecko
Mokopirirakau nebulosus (McCann, 1955) – cloudy gecko
Naultinus elegans Gray, 1842 – Auckland green gecko
Naultinus flavirictus Hitchmough et al., 2021 – Aupouri green gecko
Naultinus gemmeus (McCann, 1955) – jewelled gecko
Naultinus grayii Bell, 1843 – Northland green gecko or Gray's tree gecko
Naultinus manukanus (McCann, 1955) – Marlborough green gecko or manuka gecko
Naultinus punctatus Gray, 1843 – Wellington green gecko
Naultinus rudis (Fischer, 1882) – rough gecko
Naultinus stellatus Hutton, 1872 – Nelson green gecko or starry tree gecko
Naultinus tuberculatus(McCann, 1955) – West Coast green gecko, Lewis Pass green gecko, or warty tree gecko
Toropuku stephensi (Robb, 1980) – Stephen's Island gecko or Cook Strait striped gecko
Toropuku inexpectatus Hitchmough et al., 2020 – northern striped gecko
Tukutuku rakiurae (Thomas, 1981) – harlequin gecko
Woodworthia brunnea – Canterbury gecko
Woodworthia chrysosiretica (Robb, 1980) – gold-striped gecko, gold-stripe gecko, or golden sticky-toed gecko
Woodworthia korowai Winkel et al., 2023 – korowai gecko, Muriwai gecko
Woodworthia maculata (Gray, 1845) – New Zealand common gecko or Raukawa gecko
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.




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. 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:

Dactylocnemis “Matapia Island” – Matapia gecko
Dactylocnemis “Mokohinau” – Mokohinau gecko
Dactylocnemis “North Cape” – Te Paki gecko
Dactylocnemis “Poor Knights” – Poor Knights gecko
Dactylocnemis “Three Kings” – Three Kings gecko
Hoplodactylus duvaucelii “southern” – a possible new species or subspecies currently included in Hoplodactylus duvaucelii
Mokopirirakau “Cascades” – cascade gecko
Mokopirirakau "cupola" – Cupola gecko
Mokopirirakau “Okarito” – broad-cheeked gecko
Mokopirirakau “Open Bay Islands” – Open Bay Islands 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 "Raggedy" – Raggedy Range gecko
Woodworthia “Southern Alps” – Southern Alps gecko
Woodworthia "Southern Alps northern” – northern Southern Alps gecko
Woodworthia “southern mini” – short-toed gecko
Woodworthia “south-western” – south-western large gecko




See also


Wildlife smuggling in New Zealand
Fauna of New Zealand




References






Further reading


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




External links


New Zealand Herpetological Society

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• List of geckos of New Zealand
• Reptiles of New Zealand
• New Zealand
• List of companies of New Zealand
• Crested gecko
• Biodiversity of New Zealand
• Gigarcanum
• Diplodactylidae
• Cape Farewell, New Zealand
• List of amphibians of New Zealand