''Rhacodactylus willihenkeli'', also known as Willi's giant geckos, are a species first identified in 2023. Four live specimens were caught in 1987 in a forested area of
New Caledonia
New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...
by Friedrich Wilhelm Henkel and Joachim Sameit. They kept the geckos in a
terrarium
A terrarium ( terraria or terrariums) is a glass container containing soil and plants in an environment different from the surroundings. It is usually a sealable container that can be opened for maintenance or to access the plants inside; howeve ...
. Three of the four original specimens were still alive in 2023 when
DNA analysis
Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...
conclusively determined them to be a unique species. These individuals bred while in captivity on multiple occasions. The females would lay approximately 6–8 eggs a year which would then hatch about 90 days later. These eggs were not laid all at once but in three to four intervals throughout the year. Their full adult size is one foot long. The species is most genetically similar to ''
Rhacodactylus leachianus
''Rhacodactylus leachianus'', Common name, commonly known as the New Caledonian giant gecko, Leach's giant gecko, leachianus gecko, or Leachie, is the largest living species of gecko and a member of the family Diplodactylidae. It is native to mos ...
'' but has different colouration.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q132151412
willihenkeli