The forest gecko (Mokopirirakau granulatus) is a species of gecko that is endemic to New Zealand. Granulatus refers to the granular texture of the skin.[3] Its Māori name is moko pirirākau[4][5] ("lizard that clings to trees"). It is found in all parts of the country except the Far North and Canterbury. It is a protected species under the Wildlife Act 1953.
| Forest gecko | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Diplodactylidae |
| Genus: | Mokopirirakau |
| Species: | M. granulatus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Mokopirirakau granulatus Gray, 1845
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Description
editTheir backs are brown-grey with bright w-shaped splotches, resembling tree bark. Geckos in the southern end of their range often have brighter shades of red and orange. They can rapidly change colour according to their environment.[5] They have grey bellies and white scales at the edge of the mouth. The mouth is yellow or orange, which can be used to differentiate it from the Pacific gecko. The pads of their feet are yellow, with northern ones having slightly shorter toes than southern ones.[6] They are usually about 70-85mm long from snout to vent,[5] with some as long as 98mm.[6]
Distribution
editFound on both North and South Islands. They occur through the North Island from the Bay of Islands down to Taranaki and along the Bay of Plenty.[6] On the South Island they occur through Marlborough, Nelson and Tasman,[7] then down the West Coast until Ōkārito Lagoon.[5]
Conservation
editIn 2012 the Department of Conservation reclassified the forest gecko as At Risk under the New Zealand Threat Classification System. It was judged as meeting the criteria for At Risk threat status as a result of it having a low to high ongoing or predicted decline. This gecko is also regarded as being Data Poor which indicates the Department of Conservations uncertainty about the listing due to lack of data.[1]
In June 2010 seven forest geckos, four female and three male, were stolen from a wildlife park in Northland.[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Hitchmough, Rod; Anderson, Peter; Barr, Ben; Monks, Jo; Lettink, Marieke; Reardon, James; Tocher, Mandy; Whitaker, Tony. "Conservation status of New Zealand reptiles, 2012" (PDF). Department of Conservation. The Government of New Zealand. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- ^ Listed by New Zealand
- ^ Gill, B.J. and Whitaker, A.H. (2001). New Zealand Frogs and Reptiles. David Bateman Limited, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand
- ^ "moko pirirākau". Te Aka Māori Dictionary. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Atlas species information". www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
- ^ a b c "Mokopirirakau granulatus | NZHS". www.reptiles.org.nz. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
- ^ Winkel, Dylan van; Baling, Marleen; Hitchmough, Rod (2018). Reptiles and Amphibians of New Zealand: A Field Guide. Auckland University Press. p. 72. ISBN 9781869409371.
- ^ Eriksen, Alanah May (30 June 2010). "Thousands for stolen geckos on European black market". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
External links
edit
- Hoplodactylus granulatus at the New Zealand Herpetological Society
- Hoplodactylus granulatus at the J. Craig Venter Institute