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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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phormium
''Phormium'' is a genus of two plant species in the family Asphodelaceae. One species is endemic to New Zealand and the other is native to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. The two species are widely known in New Zealand as flax or their Māori language, Māori names ''wharariki'' and ''harakeke'' respectively'','' and elsewhere as New Zealand flax or flax lily, but they are not closely related to the Northern Hemisphere's flax (''Linum usitatissimum''), which is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and has been used by humans since 30,000 B.C. Taxonomy Monocot classification has undergone significant revision in the past decade, and recent classification systems (including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group) have found ''Phormium'' to be closely related to daylilies (''Hemerocallis''), placing it in family (biology), family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae. ''Phormium'' formerly belonged to the family (biology), family Agavaceae and many c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Naultinus Manukanus
The Marlborough green gecko, also known as the manuka gecko,Tony Jewell, photos by Rod Morris, "''Reptiles and Amphibians of New Zealand''", New Holland, 2008 (''Naultinus manukanus'') is a small species of gecko endemic to New Zealand. It grows to a maximum of 70mm, and is green, with some individuals displaying gold markings. The underside of the gecko is a lighter green in females, and silvery in males. The holotype is in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Description ''Naultinus manukanus'' is a green gecko usually about long from snout to vent; the tail is longer than the body. The geckos weigh only about . In colour, Marlborough geckoes are usually green on their backs, and sometimes have along the sides of their backs rows of irregular markings or spots that range from pale green or yellow to white. A defining characteristic of the species is enlarged and raised scales, which are located on their snout, around the head and nape of their neck ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Naultinus Grayii
''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 (with the exceptions of males in two South Island species which exhibit sexual dimorphism in colouration), 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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Naultinus Gemmeus
The jewelled gecko (''Naultinus gemmeus'') is a threatened species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Subgroups or populations of the jewelled gecko living in Otago, Canterbury, and Southland can be distinguished by their colour and marking. Male Canterbury jewelled geckos tend to be grey or brown with yellow, purple and white rows of stripes or diamonds. Otago jewelled gecko populations are often green with yellow and white markings, and Southland jewelled geckos are usually solid green. The jewelled gecko eats a wide variety of insects and moths. It also eats berries and, more rarely, nectar. The jewelled gecko and other New Zealand geckos are highly protected and it is illegal to capture or disturb them. The jewelled gecko is often targeted by wildlife smugglers. Identification ''Naultinus gemmeus'' has a bright to olive green body with either stripes or a pattern of diamonds on its back, a pattern which ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Naultinus Flavirictus
The Aupōuri green gecko (''Naultinus flavirictus''), 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''. It is endemic to the Aupōuri Peninsula of the North Island of New Zealand. It is a diurnal species that inhabits scrubland and forests, inhabiting foliage such as those of mānuka and kānuka trees. It can be distinguished from other species in the genus by the diagnostic yellow color at the corners of the mouth, which are also what give it its specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Naultinus Elegans
The Auckland green gecko (''Naultinus elegans''), also known as the elegant gecko, is a species of gecko found only in the northern half of the North Island of New Zealand, except north of Whangaroa. Taxonomy The species was described by John Edward Gray in 1842. In 1872, Frederick Hutton described the Nelson green gecko as a subspecies, ''Naultinus elegans stellatus'', which was elevated to species status in 1982. In 1980, the Wellington green gecko was synonymised as a subspecies of ''Naultinus elegans'', with the Auckland green gecko being referred to as ''Naultinus elegans elegans'' and the Wellington green gecko as ''Naultinus elegans punctatus''. In 2014 the species name was standardised as ''Naultinus punctatus''. The Wellington green gecko is found in the southern half of the North Island, and can hybridise with the Auckland green gecko in places where their ranges overlap. Description Gray's original text (the type description) reads as follows: The species ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mokopirirakau Nebulosus
The cloudy gecko (''Mokopirirakau nebulosus'') is a species of gecko that is endemic to New Zealand. It is found on Stewart Island Stewart Island (, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura, formerly New Leinster) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait. It is a roughly triangular island with a la ... and its outlying islands. It is both arboreal and terrestrial, living in lowland forest, scrub and shrubs, and also in rocky areas, typically in cold, wet, exposed places. Cloudy geckos were considered to be forest geckoes (''Mokopirirakau granulatus'') until they were described as a separate species in 1955, at which time they were placed in the ''Heteropholis'' genus. Their appearance is very similar in pattern and colour to the forest gecko, however, there is usually more green and brown rather than grey, and the pattern is less distinct. The inside of the mouth is yellow to bright orange. Refere ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mokopirirakau Kahutarae
The black-eyed gecko (''Mokopirirakau kahutarae''), also known as Whitaker's sticky-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the Family (biology), family Diplodactylidae. An alpine gecko species, discovered in 1970, it inhabits high-altitude mountains in three areas of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the highest-altitude lizard species in New Zealand, living up to above sea level. Taxonomy The species description, species was described by New Zealand herpetologist Anthony Whitaker, Tony Whitaker in a paper published nominally in 1984, but actually in 1985.: "The nominal year of publication [...] is 1984; the actual year of publication is 1985. [....] The taxon described herein should be cited as ''Hoplodactylus kahutarae'' Whitaker, 1985." Initially classified in the genus ''Hoplodactylus'', it is now placed in the genus ''Mokopirirakau'' along with other narrow-toed alpine and forest geckos. The holotype specimen is in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Ton ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mokopirirakau Granulatus
The forest gecko (''Mokopirirakau granulatus'') is a species of gecko that is endemic to New Zealand. Its Māori name is ''moko pirirākau'' ("lizard that clings to trees"). It is found in much of the north and central North Island, and the north and upper west of the South Island. It is a protected species under the Wildlife Act 1953. Taxonomy The species was first described by John Edward Gray in 1845, based on a holotype found in the British Museum. He named it ''Naultinus granulatus'', or the granular naultinus. ''Granulatus'' refers to the granular texture of the skin.Gill, B.J. and Whitaker, A.H. (2001). ''New Zealand Frogs and Reptiles''. Auckland, New Zealand: David Bateman. By the 1880s the forest gecko had been recombined as a member of the genus ''Hoplodactylus''. In 2011 the genus '' Mokopirirakau'' was established due to a phylogenetic analysis of New Zealand lizard genera. The forest gecko was placed within this genus, and became the type species. The rare Cupola ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mokopirirakau Galaxias
''Mokopirirakau galaxias'' is a species of gecko that is endemic to New Zealand. Its Māori name is ''hura te ao''. It is in the family Diplodactylidae. Genetic analysis suggests that its closest relatives are the clade comprising the forest gecko (''Mokopirirakau granulatus'') and the black-eyed gecko (''Mokopirirakau kahutarae''). It was discovered in 2018 in alpine greywacke rock outcrops in North Otago. It has been found in two mountain ranges in the Oteake Conservation Park. The holotype was collected in the Ida Range. This gecko is nocturnal, and is notable for the small bright spots on its back that resemble stars. See also *Geckos of New Zealand References External links * ''Mokopirirakau galaxias'' discussed on RNZ ''Critter of the Week ''Critter of the Week'' is a weekly RNZ National programme about endangered and neglected native plants and animals of New Zealand. Beginning in 2015, ''Critter of the Week'' is an approximately 15-minute discussion betwee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mokopirirakau Cryptozoicus
''Mokopirirakau'' is a genus of geckos that are endemic to New Zealand. They range from arboreal species that live in forest trees down to the coastline, to terrestrial species that live on rocky ground in the alpine zone, and species that live in both habitats. They are spread throughout the country. The genus was erected in 2011, when the New Zealand geckos were reorganised into seven genera based on DNA sequencing; the then scientifically described ''Mokopirirakau'' species had previously been in the ''Hoplodactylus'' genus. There are thought to be eleven species, but only five have been scientifically described so far. Taxonomy The ''Mokopirirakau'' genus was erected in 2011, when the New Zealand geckos were reorganised into seven genera based on DNA sequencing. The then scientifically described ''Mokopirirakau'' species had previously been in the ''Hoplodactylus'' genus, and were known as the ''Hoplodactylus'' aff. ''granulatus'' complex. The name ''Mokopirirakau'' is fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
